The Path You Choose
by KCKibbles
Summary: "I never thought you were this naive." "Naive?" "Trusting. Innocent." "I like to see the good in people, what's wrong with that?" CoS AU. Being stuck in a diary for 50 years can make one lonely, but growing too attached to your prey can be dangerous. A story told in 100-word snippets.
1. Full of Woe

**Story Summary: **CoS AU. Being stuck in a diary for 50 years can make one lonely, but growing too attached to your prey can be dangerous.

**A Note:** All chapters will be 100 words long. I don't know how many of them there will be.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Full of Woe**

When she had been teased about her crush and her family had been insulted, she felt like she'd just seen through a window of how life at Hogwarts would be like.

It made sense for her to write in a blank diary she found. She knew she would feel better once all of her concerns were written down, even if it didn't mean the problems would go away.

"Dear Diary, my name is Ginny Weasley."

_"Hello, Ginny Weasley. My name is Tom Riddle."_

Her hair rose from the gust that came out of the book when she slammed it shut.


	2. A Merry Old Soul Was He

**Chapter 2: A Merry Old Soul Was He**

A blinding darkness, a deafening silence. He couldn't move, he couldn't feel. He wasn't even sure if he was breathing. There had been plenty of time to think about where he was, whether he was dead, alive or in some kind of limbo. He realized it didn't matter, he was just there to wait until he could fulfill his purpose.

"_Dear Diary, my name is Ginny Weasley."_

The words were painful and wonderful at the same time. In that second he latched onto Miss Weasley, his one connection to the real world.

"Hello, Ginny Weasley. My name is Tom Riddle."


	3. That Will Do

**Chapter 3: That Will Do**

Of course she shouldn't have written in the diary. It wasn't hers. She had found it in her secondhand copy of _A_ _Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_. The smart thing would be to tell her mum that she found it and then tell her dad that the diary had written back. It must have been filled with Dark Magic, she knew that even if she wasn't a professional.

Then again, she had heard about a few therapeutic diaries that wrote back to the writer.

They weren't cheap.

Yes, she would tell her mum right away, she would know what to do.


	4. She Wanted to Wander

**Chapter 4: She Wanted To Wander**

She slid out of her bed with the diary in her hand and twisted the knob of her door. It barely cracked open an inch when four figures sprinted past her with broomsticks. Three of them were very familiar redheads, but the fourth had black hair and beautiful green eyes.

With a terrified squeak, she slammed the door shut and pushed her back against it to keep it closed. When she heard the laughter at her behavior on the other side she sunk down to the ground and held the small black diary closer to her chest, flushing in embarrassment.


	5. Far to Go

**Chapter 5: Far To Go**

He could still feel her, but just barely. It had infuriated him when she did not write back immediately, but he had forced himself to calm enough to think about it rationally.

Instead of using a pen, a popular muggle invention, she was using a quill. He wasn't sure how he knew, he could just feel it and it had always been that way since he was created. Ginny Weasley was most likely a witch. If she had stopped writing, she must have become suspicious because she knew something about the Dark Arts. He was unsure of how to proceed.


	6. Never to be Told

**Chapter 6: Never To Be Told**

She knew that her brothers and Harry were probably already outside, but that didn't mean she was going to leave her room anytime soon.

_That was so embarrassing! Why did I have to hide?_

They were probably laughing at her. Fred and George especially.

_I should have faced them head on. Harry probably thinks I'm just a silly little girl…_

And she was, wasn't she? She was just a little girl who was going to cry to her mummy and daddy about a little _book_ that probably wasn't even dangerous. It was only a diary, what could it possibly do?


	7. Very Gently Will Play

**Chapter 7: Very Gently Will Play**

"_Hello?"_

Again, pain, but he expected it this time. It would numb eventually the more she wrote. He was surprised that she was already writing back so soon, but then again it was very difficult to tell how much time had passed. For all he knew it might have been months. He was sure it was the same person since she was aware he existed.

"_Are you there?"_

"Yes," he replied cautiously. He couldn't afford to scare her off, he would keep his replies simple for now.

There was a pause and he knew she was writing again.

_Foolish girl._


	8. What a Good Boy

******A/N: **I think I will try updating once a day and twice on Saturdays and Sundays until I run out of extra chapters. I have like, 30 right now.

* * *

**Chapter 8: What A Good Boy**

"So your name is Tom?" she asked.

"_Correct."_

She nibbled at the end of her quill as the words sank back into the page.

"_Did I scare you?"_

She almost dropped her quill. How did it know that? Before she knew it, she was scribbling it across the page.

"_You did not reply."_

She shifted uncomfortably. The diary was intelligent, it really seemed like one of the Dark Artifacts her dad talked about.

"_I apologize for scaring you, I haven't had company in a while. My manners are probably horrific."_

But Dark Artifacts weren't suppose to be polite, were they?


	9. Asked This of Me

**Chapter 9: Asked This Of Me**

"You know, diaries are not suppose to write back."

"_Would you like me to stop?"_

"It's creepy." She wondered if she should tell it about her suspicions of it being a Dark Object.

"_Then I will stop. But first, will you be so kind as to tell me what is the date?"_

"August 19th."

"_The year?"_

"1992."

"…_Interesting."_

"How's that interesting?"

"_It is interesting because the last time I was opened was in the 1940's."_

Her jaw dropped. That was fifty years ago! Being a book with no one to talk to for fifty years? It must have been terrible…


	10. Could Not Keep Her

**Chapter 10: Could Not Keep Her**

"_You haven't been opened in fifty years?"_

If she wasn't replying he would swear she couldn't read. At the very least she was still writing. Allowing her to pity him seemed to work the best. Girls may be predictable, but at least it made his job much easier.

"_That must have been awful! What do you do all day?"_

"Nothing. I cannot tell one day from the next. All I have is darkness so it makes no difference to me. I am appreciative of your company though."

She didn't write back and he assumed she had left him once again.


	11. Pass the Time Away

**Chapter 11: Pass the Time Away**

Ginny hadn't written in the diary since the day before yesterday and she wasn't sure if she should have felt terrible or not.

She really did though.

The diary had no company for fifty years… Sure, it was just a silly old book, but she still felt bad for it. Her mum and dad still didn't know about it and she had ended up stuffing it in her sock drawer.

_I just left it after it said it appreciated the company. I'm such a bad person._

Reluctantly, she opened her drawer and pulled the small black diary out of it.


	12. Quite Contrary

**Chapter 12: Quite Contrary**

She ran her hand over the cover of the book, pausing when she noticed the date for the first time. The 1940's. The diary had told the truth. She opened it to the first page and examined the faded name on it. T. M. Riddle.

'_Hello, Ginny Weasley. My name is Tom Riddle.'_

She frowned. T. M. Riddle owned the diary, but the diary said its name was Tom Riddle. That didn't make any sense, how could the person be a diary? Was it really another person on the other end of the diary who was just messing with her?


	13. When She Came Back

**Chapter 13: When She Came Back**

She pulled out her quill and laid on her bed, hoping to apologize before her mum called her down to breakfast.

"Are you there?" she asked.

No reply.

"Hello? Diary?"

Nothing.

"I just wanted to tell you something before I go to breakfast."

She tapped the diary with her finger as if it were broken. Why wasn't it writing back? Maybe it was angry at her.

"Tom?" she tried. "Please reply."

She sighed when there was no response. She was about to close the book when ink oozed out once again to form words she had not written.

"_I'm here."_


	14. Where Have You Been?

**Chapter 14: Where Have You Been?**

"_I thought you were broken or angry with me."_

"You didn't want me to write back anymore, remember?"

A pause.

"_Right, I forgot… I'm sorry about that."_

"So would you like me to write back or not?"

"_Go ahead. It's fine."_

He allowed himself to feel smug over that small victory.

"_I just wanted to apologize for not writing back while we were talking. I sort of just ditched you."_

"There's no need to apologize, it was expected. After all, I am just a diary. Although…"

"_What?"_

"It's nothing."

"_Tell me."_

"I was… sort of hoping to become _your_ diary."


	15. Will You Be Mine?

**Chapter 15: Will You Be Mine?**

"_What do you mean?"_

"I want to be your outlet. A normal diary to you that just happens to write back." It took quite a bit of willpower to prevent himself from being too patronizing. Really, what else did a diary do? Either this girl was unintelligent or liked to ask stupid questions.

"_No way! A diary is suppose to be private! What if someone found you? You'd tell them my secrets!"_

"There is no way for a person to retrieve information from me unless I give it to them willingly. That, I assure you, will never happen. Trust me."


	16. Do Me No Harm

**A/N:** This is gonna be really long... I can already tell it's going to be way over 100 chapters, heh.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Do Me No Harm**

The diary didn't appear too dangerous. It seemed to just be a book that was granted consciousness so now it was capable of being lonely. But why on earth would it want to be _her_ diary? She was boring. To be honest, its request was a bit suspicious.

"Telling you my secrets would be just like telling a friend. I don't really need you."

"_I see. You seem to be a fully mature woman and here I am treating you like a child. Pardon my rudeness."_

She found herself flattered.

"Actually, I'll be starting at Hogwarts soon. I'm only eleven."


	17. I Answered Him

**Chapter 17: I Answered Him**

She was just starting Hogwarts. This was just all too perfect for him.

"Fascinating. Hogwarts is a brilliant school. This will be your first year?"

"_Yes! I'm so excited, all my brothers told me so many things about it. I can't wait."_

He had her talking now. Her writing became messy as if she was in a hurry.

"You have brothers? How many? Do they go to Hogwarts?"

"_Six. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, and Ron. Bill and Charlie don't go to Hogwarts anymore."_

Four brothers. He would see that they were dealt with once he began to purify Hogwarts.


	18. Out to Play

**Chapter 18: Out to Play**

"Do you have friends that will be accompanying you to Hogwarts?"

"_Not close friends, but I've met one or two others who are my age. I've played with a few muggle children when I was younger too."_

Disgusting.

"I suppose you are lucky to have brothers that will keep you company on the train and at school, then."

"_Actually, they're a right pain in the arse."_

"…That was not very polite."

"_I know. My brothers can be really annoying though. They tease me sometimes."_

"Why would-"

"_Sorry, Diary, my mum's calling me down for breakfast. I have to go now."_


	19. And He Looks At You

**Chapter 19: And He Looks At You**

She was going down the stairs when it occurred to her that the diary had ensnared her into conversation just a moment ago. The thought made her stop in her tracks.

_Wow, it didn't even try, did it?_

Maybe she could use a diary. After all, it did feel nice to talk to someone she didn't really know because it wasn't really a _someone_ was it?

Something bumped her back and she stumbled forward a few steps. She turned around, expecting to see a hungry Ron, but that was not the case.

She was face to face with Harry Potter.


	20. Cat Got Your Tongue?

**Chapter 20: Cat Got Your Tongue?**

He pushed his glasses up his nose awkwardly, obviously trying not to show that he noticed her jaw had dropped wide open.

_Ginny Weasley, you pull yourself together this instant!_ Her brain screamed at her. Her mouth refused to cooperate and it took a few seconds for it to actually clamp shut.

"Sorry," he said, realizing she was probably incapable of speech at the moment. "I didn't see you there."

Her lips moved a bit but the words, "It's alright", just refused to come out. Instead she just sputtered, then ran down the stairs into the kitchen, her face burning.


	21. My Plate's Empty

**Chapter 21: My Plate's Empty**

_Idiot. Idiot. Idiot._

Her mum was used to her behavior so didn't question her when she began to hit her head against the table. Instead she just set a plate of eggs in front of her.

_Idiot. Idiot. Idiot._

She had forgotten that Harry had been coming down the stairs behind her. It was sweet that he tried not to notice her acting like a mental patient.

_Idiot. Idiot. Idiot._

She gave him a shaky smile and he smiled back, only for Ron to come down and ask her why she had eggs in her hair.

_Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot._


	22. Mix it Up and Make it Nice

**Chapter 22: Mix It Up and Make It Nice**

He had never been so impatient in his life. Supposedly having made contact with someone for the first time in fifty years had something to do with it. He was given an awareness of _time_ now and was annoyingly attentive of the seconds ticking away.

And to think that afterwards he would have to deal with the thoughts of an eleven-year-old girl. Not for the first time, he began to question the sanity of his true self after parting his soul. The decision to plant his memories and a goal into his Horcrux had not been part of the plan.


	23. Crystal Clear

**A/N: **I think this is an equivalent of a flashback.

* * *

**Chapter 23: Crystal Clear**

"I find myself in the curious position of being _conscious_."

"_Excellent. How aware are you?" _That was his writing, he knew it.

"Why am I talking to myself?"

"_Be patient, you will understand soon."_

The next thing he knew, energy was coursing through him, memories, feelings, knowledge. What his true self intended finally came to light. The reopening of the Chamber. The Purification of Hogwarts.

A book resembling his diary appeared on a desk in the small room he managed to conjure for himself. He stared at the words which were now scrawled onto the page.

"_Do you understand now?"_


	24. Bend and Break

**Chapter 24: Bend and Break**

He was frustrated and confused, two things he hated. He glared at the book and projected what he wanted to say onto it quickly. "I don't see a point to this. You have-"

"_Things have changed now."_

"How much? You haven't added that information to me which leads me to conclude it will be something I will find… most displeasing."

"_You would like me to go back to my original plan?"_

"Yes."

"_So you want me to destroy you?"_

"Destroying a Horcrux would be very counterproductive."

"_No, I mean destroying _you_. I will have to rid you of your sentience."_


	25. Oh, How the Wind Does Blow

**Chapter 25: Oh, How the Wind Does Blow**

"_I never thought I could use death against myself. You can't do anything about it though, being only a diary."_

This wasn't suppose to be happening.

"_You know, I'm disappointed you don't find any of this absolutely fascinating, being me and all. You would think we would have the same thoughts if we have the same fears."_

"_It's true isn't it, scared to die?"_

"_Don't worry, you'll live. Just do what you do best when the time comes."_

His true self was annoyingly cryptic. Was it because his soul had been split?

"And that would be?"

"_Getting what you want."_


	26. Follow the Leader

**Chapter 26: Follow the Leader**

Discovering that he had been betrayed by himself was something he got over surprisingly quickly. In the beginning he had actually thought he'd gone mad and began to laugh uncontrollably. The whole thing had seemed so ridiculous at the time.

The room and body he had created for himself disappeared the day his true self stopped writing. The two were obviously related, so his world succumbed to darkness.

He had plenty of time to think over his true self's new plan. In the end he decided to do as he was told. There was nothing he could do about it.


	27. As I Thought Good

**Chapter 27: As I Thought Good**

She had ran up the stairs as soon as she finished breakfast. The diary was waiting for her on her bed, but she didn't open it. How much did the diary know about real life? If she told it about how she felt, would it really understand? And if it did, would it laugh? A large part of her really wanted to write in it, but there was a feeling in her gut that told her to get rid of it or ignore it for the rest of her life. But it had already been left alone for fifty years…


	28. Finders Keepers

**Chapter 28: Finders Keepers**

She had finally returned.

"_Dear Tom-"_

"I can get used to that."

"_I thought it was better than 'Dear Diary', since you said it was your name. Now be quiet, diaries don't cut their owners off."_

The thought of her _owning_ him was ridiculous. All he needed was a few days and he would be the one owning her.

"I would say we're more like acquaintances than an owner and a possession." _Or future slave and master._

She didn't write back for a while so he was forced to wait impatiently once again.

"_Well it's still rude," _she said finally.


	29. How Do You Do?

**Chapter 29: How Do You Do?**

"_So how has the morning treated you? Or would you rather tell me about yourself?"_

She frowned, tapping the corner of her mouth with her quill.

"My morning wouldn't really make sense if you didn't know about me so I'll talk about myself I guess."

"_Excellent."_

Her quill hovered over the page for a full minute.

"_So…"_

"Sorry. I have no idea what to write. I'm dreadfully boring."

"_Sometimes I find the beginning a good place to start."_

Was it joking?

"Fine. Hello, Tom Riddle, my name is Ginny Weasley."

"_Well, Ginny, I look forward to getting to know you."_


	30. He Began to Compliment

**Chapter 30: He Began to Compliment**

"_Ginny. Is that short for Virginia?"_

She scowled. "It's for Ginevra. Weird name, I know."

"_I disagree. It's a name fit for a queen."_

"Thank you," she wrote awkwardly, trying not to blush over what a _book_ told her.

"_Continue…"_

"You know about my brothers. My mum is Molly and works here at home and my dad is Arthur and works at the Ministry in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. He likes muggle stuff."

"_So your father likes muggles?"_

"Yeah, our shed's full of muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on them, then puts them back together."


	31. The Reason Why

**Chapter 31: The Reason Why**

Where her father worked was actually disconcerting. If she ever told him about the diary she found he would be immediately confiscated and he wouldn't be powerful enough to do anything about it. When he was with his true self, he could do basic magic such as possession and building a physical sanctuary in his diary since their souls were so close together.

He would need to bond with Ginny in order to do the same thing. At the same time, he would have to make sure that she did not reveal his presence to her parents or anybody else.


	32. I Cannot Tell

**Chapter 32: I Cannot Tell**

She just wrote about herself and her family, but nothing more personal than her favorite color (periwinkle). Nevertheless, he could feel the bond growing a bit stronger, but not nearly enough to connect. He would need to press for more information but was hesitant on doing so.

"You seem like a lovely girl."

"_I try to be."_

"Have you ever done anything bad?"

"_Bad? I don't think so."_

"Have you ever told a lie?"

"_I fib quite a bit, but everybody does."_

Either she was lying right now or was too nice. Pity, he would have to try something different.


	33. Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?

**Chapter 33: Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?**

"Earlier," he started, slowing down his writing so that it seemed he didn't _really_ want to ask this question. "You said your brothers tease you."

"_What about it?"_

"They're your brothers. Why would they tease you?"

"_You don't believe me?"_

"I'm a bit… skeptical."

He could practically feel her fury as she wrote.

"_It's true! Fred once put honey in my shampoo. It was horrible. George makes fun of the way I ride a broom and Percy treats me like a child. Fred and George have been teasing me ever since Ron told Harry about my crush on him!"_

"Harry?"


	34. Now You Know

**Chapter 34: Now You Know**

She couldn't believe that slipped. She hadn't even been talking, she had been writing which had given her plenty of time to think about what she was doing!

"Right, I'm not gonna talk to _you_ about that," she scribbled.

A beat passed before the diary replied: _"I see."_

Nothing else.

"Is something wrong?"

"_Nothing."_

"You've said that before. What's wrong this time? What are you thinking?"

"_I don't think I can talk about that with you either."_

She wasn't sure if it was being honest or trying to bait her into talking about Harry.

"_So let's talk about something else."_


	35. Show and Tell

**Chapter 35: Show and Tell**

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"_I'm a diary, I am incapable of creativity."_

Ginny was finding it very difficult to decide if it was joking or not.

"How about we think of different ways to get my brothers out of my hair?"

"_Good idea. How did you get the honey out of your hair? Perhaps you can apply the same method."_

She stared at the page for a moment in disbelief.

"That wasn't funny," she wrote, trying to quash her amusement.

"_I found it relevant to the conversation, actually. You disagree?"_

"Ok, so it was. A little."


	36. The Lady Loves Her Will

**Chapter 36: The Lady Loves Her Will**

Significantly bored with reading what she was writing, he decided to get a break to think over new tactics to get her to say something personal.

"You must have better things to do than talk to me, don't you?"

"_I could help my mum with chores…"_

"Then you should-"

"_I hate it."_

"Oh."

"_She wants me to be just like her, it's so annoying. I don't want to stay at home forever. She's excited about having a girl after six boys but all she does is teach me how to cook, clean, and raise babies! I'M SICK OF IT."_

"…Oh."


	37. Don't Say a Word

**Chapter 37: Don't Say a Word**

"_I don't like cleaning, I don't like cooking, and I don't like taking lessons on how to be a prisoner in my own house forever."_

"I can s-"

"_Really, what good is gonna come out of it? Sure I'll be able to eat and have a clean house, but other than that? What if I want to work in the Ministry? What if I want to work at Gringotts? What if I want to work with magical creatures or be part of a professional Quidditch team?"_

"Ginny, this is really-"

"_Sometimes I wish my mum would leave me alone forever."_


	38. One for the Master

**Chapter 38: One for the Master**

Tom could _feel_ her now, and it was thrilling. It was obvious she had never told her mother how she really felt, therefore all her pent up feelings were finally being released _into him_. He hadn't even meant for it to happen!

He had given up trying to write back to her in order to provoke her further, instead focusing on keeping his thoughts from being displayed onto his pages. Before it took some effort to _show _them, now it took some effort to _stop_ them.

And it had only been the second day she had ever written to him.


	39. One for the Dame

**Chapter 39: One for the Dame**

Ginny had no idea how much relief she would feel after she got rid of all those suppressed feelings.

It felt wonderful, like she was free. It was almost as if the feelings had been sucked right out of her. She was aware of the feelings she felt earlier, but now they didn't matter. Maybe the diary was magical in a way that it actually absorbed her feelings? Or maybe it's what all diaries did. It felt good, maybe a little empty, but it was good. No, whatever it was, it was amazing.

The diary was amazing.

_Tom _was amazing.


	40. Turn Yourself Around

**A/N:** The next couple of chapters may seem - for lack of a better word - jumpy. I cut out and edited a few to speed things up a bit. If something doesn't make sense I'll probably just edit some of the chapters again.

* * *

**Chapter 40: Turn Yourself Around**

"Tom?" she wrote when she finished her rant and had received no response

Maybe he didn't like to be interrupted.

"Did I upset you? I didn't mean to cut you off when you tried to say something!"

"_I'm… here."_

"Are you alright? You seem… off."

"_Fine… I'm fine. A bit… winded for some reason. But… overall… I'm ok."_

She stared at the words for a while, confused. "Were my words too much for you? Sorry."

"_Actually… I found it… exhilarating. I don't think I really… expected you to feel so much. You should… let it out once and a while."_


	41. Who Me?

**Chapter 41: Who Me?**

"I'll pretend that wasn't a weird thing to say."

"…_In retrospect, yes, that was a little strange."_

"What was that all about?"

"_I think we have different things to talk about now. Such as your family. It's obvious they must irk you occasionally. I think it would be best to tell me about them."_

"I've already told you stuff though."

"_Your secrets about them. That is to say, your secret feelings."_

"You mean the stuff I don't say to their faces? That'd be talking behind their backs…"

"_As if they don't do the same to you."_

"What do you mean?"


	42. Yes You

**Chapter 42: Yes You**

"_I'm only suggesting that they may talk about you behind your back."_

"Like what?"

"_Lie about you, insult you, disgrace you."_

She was shocked that he would suggest such a thing. Didn't he say how he didn't believe her brothers were so bad just a moment ago? Now he was saying how terrible they were!

"That's enough, stop it. They're not that bad, you're just exaggerating."

"_You know they tease you in front of your face. Just think of how terrible they are when you're not there."_

"Tom, shut up."

"_I wonder what they say to Harry…"_

"SHUT UP TOM."


	43. Couldn't Be

**Chapter 43: Couldn't Be**

How dare Tom talk about her family that way? They would never say anything bad about her!

_Would they?_

They… might. After all, she had seen the looks she received from her mum when she acted too silly. She had seen how exasperated her brothers were when she talked about what interested her. She had seen her dad's impatience when she distracted him from something he found important.

She had been scolded, lectured, even spanked a few times when she was younger.

But did they really talk so hatefully behind her back?

She didn't think so...

No, Tom was wrong.


	44. Then Who?

**Chapter 44: Then Who?**

"_SHUT UP TOM."_

More anger and hate. Normally he would have stopped at her discomfort because of the risks, but he wanted to see how much he could get away with. She wouldn't leave him so soon, not after the experience she had earlier when she had talked about her mother.

He stopped writing after she told him to shut up and waited patiently to see if she would come crawling back, defend her family or snap and start ranting about them like her mother. Either way it all benefited him. Ginny did not know who she was dealing with.


	45. Loving and Giving

**Chapter 45: Loving and Giving**

"You don't know anything about my family, you stupid book! They would never talk about me in a way like that. They tease me, not torture me!"

"Fred and George are funny and can both be rather sweet! Percy is the most responsible of us all. Sure, some of the things he says are embarrassing and make me feel like a child, but he has my best interests at heart. And Ron? Ron's the most loyal to our family. If I'm threatened in any way he'll be at my side in a heartbeat and stay there forever no matter what."


	46. Come Again Another Day

**Chapter 46: Come Again Another Day**

"_Don't you dare suggest those horrible things again."_

Tom didn't reply, he preferred to experiment with whatever new magical abilities he may have gained from what Ginny had already shared with him so far.

"_Hello? Are you there?"_

He tried to picture a small room for himself or even a physical body, but it wasn't long before he was forced to stop before he drained his magic. Perhaps anger was not the best emotion for him to work with.

"_Tom! Answer me right now!"_

He would have to try again later.

"_Fine, I didn't want to talk to you anyway."_


	47. Sticks and Stones

**Chapter 47: Sticks and Stones**

Ginny sniffed indignantly, annoyed that Tom wasn't even paying attention to her as she tried to lecture him. He was being childish and mean… She didn't know him that well, but his sudden change of demeanor was still shocking.

_Who knew a book could be so rude._

After a moment of staring at the diary, she slammed it open. She pulled out a quill from her ink bottle, swinging it dramatically over the book so that a few drops of ink dribbled onto the pages. She bent over it and scribbled furiously.

"Tom, for the love of Merlin, ANSWER ME."


	48. Build It Up

**Chapter 48: Build It Up**

"_I will burn you, I swear."_

He knew she was incapable of destroying him, so he found the whole affair entertaining. All of her entries were now just threats and insults. To be honest, he was wondering if she'd really try to destroy him out of spite.

"_I'm closer to the fire…"_

"_Closer…"_

"_Closer…"_

"_I'm holding you over it with one hand"_

"_Nothing? Really? This is your life we're talking about."_

"_I'm gonna let you go one finger at a time."_

"Holding me _and_ writing with only one hand? I had no idea you were so talented."

"…_You're a prat."_


	49. Drive Her Away

**Chapter 49: Drive Her Away**

She wasn't sure if she was more irritated that he caught her bluff or that he mocked her.

"You know, I think you're filled with Dark Magic. Why else would you try to make the person who writes to you feel terrible?"

"_I apologize."_

"Do you really?"

"_Yes. I was attempting to rile you up a little. I mistakenly took it too far. It was obvious you do hold some contempt for you're family. Unfortunately, the methods I was using to get you to talk about them were unorthodox."_

He certainly changed his attitude quickly enough.

"I don't believe you."


	50. Keep Them Safe At Home

**A/N:** For the record, this is gonna be very long. They don't get on the train until Chapter 90 and into Hogwarts until Chapter 127. Fun.

* * *

**Chapter 50: Keep Them Safe At Home**

"_Ginny…"_

"No, I don't believe you."

She did believe him actually. He was a diary, so it made sense that he would try to get her to actually write in him.

"_Honestly, I'm not one of those objects. I think I would know if I was one, I would be much more convincing when it comes to doing something Dark."_

"I should turn you into my dad. He'll know what to do with you."

"_He'll put me in the dark. I can't go back. You have no idea what it's like. It's nothing except your own thoughts in eternal darkness."_


	51. On His Knee

**Chapter 51: On His Knee**

"_Terrible. Guess you're gonna go back anyway."_

…He had not expected this. It surprised him, and if there was one thing Tom hated, it was being surprised.

"Don't put me back. You really have no idea what it's like. I meant no harm, honest."

No reply, but he knew she was still there.

"_I'm just joking. That's what you get for saying those nasty things."_

…What.

He was unaware that the thought also appeared on the pages of the diary until she wrote back.

"_It was my revenge. I'm not really turning you in."_

He was going to kill her.


	52. Half Past Two

**Chapter 52: Half Past Two**

It had taken a while for Tom to forgive her for the threat, but she still found it funny. She had went ahead and stopped writing, actually saying goodbye properly before leaving. For a few days afterwards he had given only short, terse, replies to what she wrote. Obviously he was one to sulk for days at a time.

At least he listened, even if a bit reluctantly.

"Dear Tom, at least there's only five more days until I go to Hogwarts. It's finally gonna happen."

"_Finally. I imagine your excitement is beginning to get overwhelming."_

"Yeah, yeah, of course…"


	53. Boohoo

**Chapter 53: Boohoo**

"Is something wrong?"

"_Hogwarts…"_

"_It's… I'm going to go to Hogwarts with secondhand books and robes."_

"That's not your fault though. I understand your family doesn't have the most money."

"_But it's so embarrassing."_

"It's better than going with nothing at all."

"_Some of the book's pages are torn though, and my robes are frayed at the edges."_

Something dropped onto the pages.

"What is that? That isn't ink… water? No- Ginny, are you _crying_?" _Over books and robes?_

"_I'm sorry! I'll put you down for a while, hold on…"_

"_NO! _You shouldn't bottle it up, go ahead and cry."


	54. This I Know

**Chapter 54: This I Know**

Sometimes Tom was too nice to seem real. She was actually relieved that he could be immature and mean at times, it let her know that he wasn't just automatically being nice without considering what she was really feeling.

"_I really don't think secondhand robes and books are worth crying over."_

No. They weren't. She blinked hard and two more tears fell onto the pages.

"_Which is why I think you crying has nothing to do with that at all."_

She sniffled.

Perceptive, Tom was.

"_Now Ginny, be a dear and actually tell me the truth. What's wrong with you?"_


	55. And Know Full Well

**Chapter 55: And Know Full Well**

"_You honestly have to stop butting into my life."_

"I'm a diary, you stlly girl. It's my job." He only just managed to turn the word "stupid" into "silly" before it turned up onto the page. He wondered if she would notice the cross he added to the I.

"_I'm crying because of my brothers."_

"Again."

"_Again? I've never cried on you before."_

"No, but I know your brothers may have made you cry once before."

"_They have. This time it was Fred and Percy."_

"I thought Percy was mature. Why would he make you cry?"

"_He didn't mean to."_


	56. KISSING

**Chapter 56: K-I-S-S-I-N-G**

"_Percy tried to give me relationship advice."_

"Interesting."

"_He did it at the lunch table. In front of everybody."_

"In front of Harry?"

"_How did-"_

"Don't even ask."

"_Fine. It was in front of Harry. To be honest, his reaction didn't bother me much. It was what Fred did afterwards. You know… after he and George finished laughing."_

She paused and he felt like she was doing it for dramatic effect.

"_He started making kissing sounds and giving me suggestions for the wedding."_

_The_ wedding. Not _a_ wedding. He really wished he had a physical body to roll his eyes.


	57. Though I Know Not What You Are

**Chapter 57: Though I Know Not What You Are**

"_Will you tell me about you and Harry? You have not told me anything about him. Why is he at your home?"_

"…Well that's a really, really, really, really, really long story."

"_If you tell me something about Harry, I'll tell you something about myself."_ She scoffed. What was he going to say? His pages were actually cream, not white? He was imported from Switzerland?

"No offense, Tom, but there's not much to tell me about yourself."

"_I assure you, I am more interesting than you think."_

"Are you baiting me?"

"_Is it working?"_

"Yes. I'll tell you about Harry."


	58. Everything Nice

**Chapter 58: Everything Nice**

"Harry is… well Harry is _Harry Potter_. As in _the_ Harry Potter."

"_Unfortunately, Harry Potter is just Harry Potter to me. I don't know exactly how this Harry would be different from any other."_

"_Aside from obviously being the object of your affection."_

Of course he wouldn't know who Harry Potter was. He hadn't been open in fifty years, Harry was way after his time.

"Yes, I have a huge crush on Harry Potter. He's extremely famous. He's very strong and brave and really nice."

"_So… he's friends with Ron. I assumed he was older."_

"He's twelve like Ron."

"_Fascinating."_


	59. The Rest They Ran Away

**Chapter 59: The Rest They Ran Away**

"_Now you tell me something."_

He'd been hoping for more information, all that had been was a name and an age. "Very well." He would give only the same information. "I was named after somebody… a creator, of sorts. I am five years your senior."

"_I thought you were fifty years old."_

"I have the mentality of a very advanced sixteen-year-old."

"_Anything else?"_

"Why is Harry staying at your home?"

"_You never said you were allowed to ask questions."_

"…Fine, continue."

"_Ok, well, we're Weasleys, Tom. Dirt poor Weasleys. Harry doesn't have to be friends with Ron but he is."_


	60. Sweeter Than Dates and Cinnamon Flowers

**Chapter 60: Sweeter Than Dates and Cinnamon Flowers**

"_Harry looked past how poor we were and what everybody thought about our family. He's also really nice to me. I can barely string two words together in front of him, but he doesn't mind and pretends I'm not a total klutz. He also tries to help out my mom in the kitchen and puts up with all of my dad's questions about the muggle world. He has the most beautiful eyes, Tom! Bright green, I think it's my new favorite color."_

"It seems there's almost nothing negative about him, is there?"

"_He's flawless. I think I love him."_

Perfect.


	61. Which Way to Go

**Chapter 61: Which Way to Go**

"…_Did I just say that?"_

Apparently it was the truth. She believed that she was in love with this Harry. Sentimental feelings were some of the most powerful. He quickly tried to regain his bearings from the small connection that had grown larger between Ginny and himself.

"_Tom?"_

"Such big words for an eleven-year-old."

"_It's probably just a huge crush. He's the first one I've had feelings like this for so I'm new at it."_

"Perhaps you should find out for yourself and talk to him, see how you feel afterwards."

"_I wouldn't know what to say!"_

"Practice with me."


	62. Practice Makes Perfect

**Chapter 62: Practice Makes Perfect**

"Haha, very funny." she wrote, completely mortified. How could he think that she would talk to him as if he was Harry?

"_I wasn't joking."_

"I can't tell you stuff like that. The things I want to say, that'd be embarrassing!"

"_Nobody will hear you, you would be writing it down. I could even make suggestions if you get… writer's block. Just say what you want to say."_

Riiiight. "Hi, Harry. I really like you! Ok, bye."

"…_Very nice. Although you're lying."_

"What? No I'm not! I just said it earlier. I just like him, that's it."

"_Lying by omission."_


	63. Turn My Back

**Chapter 63: Turn My Back**

There was no way she was going to tell him anything. It was like all he was interested in was her personal life.

She gasped in realization.

Sweet Merlin she was suppose to be talking about why Percy and Fred made her cry! He had steered the conversation to Harry, promising to tell her information about himself if she talked about him, and now what were they doing? He had tricked her into attempting to talk to him as if he were Harry. He was really making her talk about her feelings!

Tom was too clever for his own good.


	64. Truth or Dare

**Chapter 64: Truth or Dare**

"Omission shouldn't count as lying. Unless you admit you were lying earlier."

"_Pardon?"_

"Well you're not telling _me_ everything, so why should I tell you anything? And don't say it's because you're my diary. I'm still iffy about that."

"_Oh, that's right, it's my turn to tell you about myself, isn't it?"_

She hadn't expected him to actually respond positively to that. She thought he would try to steer the conversation back to what he wanted to talk about.

"_I said I would give you information about myself if you gave me information about Harry, in a way you have."_


	65. What Little Boys Are Made Of

**Chapter 65: What Little Boys Are Made Of**

"I don't judge those who write into my diary. I like to listen to other people's problems because I have none of my own and feel as if I should help them. I'm an honest… diary. I'll tell you the truth so I want you to be honest with yourself as well."

It was funny how many lies he had told, but it matched his actions and the way he treated Ginny so she would most likely see it as the truth.

The key words being "most likely" because he honestly thought she would forget the exchange of information deal.


	66. Waiting With Pleasure and Pain

**Chapter 66: Waiting With Pleasure and Pain**

"Your turn," he wrote. "Write as if I'm Harry." He began to focus it on himself, trying to form the same body he had from before he had been put into the diary.

"_I'm going to write whatever comes to mind."_

When he opened his eyes - _he had eyes _- he knew he was _standing_ in darkness. He looked at his hands and flexed them, smirking. He was powerful enough to have a body in the diary.

But he still needed that information, her feelings. Her soul.

"_I really like your hair."_

…They had a long way to go.


	67. I Spy

**Chapter 67: I Spy**

He didn't find it too strange that he was dressed in his Hogwarts robes. He did, however, find it odd that despite the darkness, he could still see himself. He would have to get stronger before he could create his own environment and live through his memories for analyzing or entertainment.

"_That was a stupid thing to say."_

Ginny's word practically cut through him and he winced, noticing that the words she wrote had appeared in the darkness as if they were rips in a dark veil, revealing a bright white light on the other side.

She had horrid handwriting.


	68. To Please Her Little Love

**Chapter 68: To Please Her Little Love**

"I don't think I can do this."

"_I am yours to practice with."_

"Fine, here it goes…"

"I know you hardly know me and I hardly know you, so I think we should try to get to know each other better. You see, I really like you, even though I don't know you well, I can tell you have all the qualities of a good person. I don't want you to think of me as "Ron's Little Sister", I'd like to be more than that."

_That was so corny._

_"That wasn't too bad__."_


	69. Sugar and Spice

**Chapter 69: Sugar and Spice**

Tom knew she would say something dramatic of course. Something blown out of proportion in an attempt to get the boy to actually consider her affection.

He knew that eventually he would be able to feel her through the connection because of their souls entwining.

He didn't really expect this painful side effect. He could feel her certainly, but he could also feel what she was _feeling. _It was absolutely disgusting. All she was doing was writing and he could feel everything almost - but not quite - as if they were his own.

Insecurity.

Loneliness.

Anger.

Sadness.

Longing.

_Love._


	70. He Said Nay

**Chapter 70: He Said Nay**

"So I wrote ten pages about how I feel about Harry…"

"_An exaggeration, but I sense you're going somewhere with it."_

"I want _you_ to tell me how you feel about being a diary."

"…_That's not important. How about I tell you how I feel about _you_?"_

She was about to tell him that was fine, but stopped before her quill touched the paper. He wasn't going to steal the conversation this time. Even if his feelings as a diary were boring, she was going to prove to him - and herself - that she could take charge for once.


	71. If All the World Were Paper

**Chapter 71: If All the World Were Paper**

"Sorry, Tom," she wrote. "You're not getting out of this. I want to know how you feel about being a diary."

"_Honestly, Ginny-"_

"Tell me or I'll stop writing and get a new diary."

"_Do it, no other diary will ever be as charming as I."_

"Just tell me three things."

"_Fine. It's boring, it's dark, and it's quiet."_

"That's what it is! I want to know how you feel!"

"_Is this how you feel when I question you? I can see why you dislike it. I'll stop questioning your feelings if we change the topic."_

"We're doing this _now_."


	72. If All the Sea Were Ink

**Chapter 72: If All the Sea Were Ink**

"_Look, Tom, you're gonna have to answer sooner or later."_

Unfortunately she was right. She still asked him about it throughout the day, even after dinner despite the fact he showed no signs of responding.

"_You haven't even tried to lie. Are you scared the truth is going to slip out?"_

He had no idea why that sentence irked him so much.

"I don't get scared."

"_Of course you don't."_

This was ridiculous.

"I don't particularly care about being a diary. Asking how I feel about being a diary is like asking you how you feel about being a human."


	73. How I Wonder What You Are

**Chapter 73: How I Wonder What You Are**

She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that there was more to the diary then she had originally thought.

He could be polite, funny, intelligent, timid, immature, and harsh. It was too real, much more advanced than some enchanted diary sold at a normal bookshop like Flourish and Blotts. He hadn't done anything bad to be a Dark Artifact, so what was he? She knew there was something special about him, and she was determined to find out what. There was only one problem though.

He was a diary, which meant he was an expert at keeping secrets.


	74. Half Past Eight

**Chapter 74: Half Past Eight**

"_It's late, Ginny. You should be going to bed."_

"I'm not tired though." Although her wrist did hurt tremendously. She knew he was just trying to get rid of her. He could have been tired too, but she wasn't sure if that was possible for a diary. There was no way she was going to let him make her do what he wanted.

"Mum wants me to help with the dishes and laundry for the night, I guess I have to go. I'll write to you tomorrow," she lied.

"_I look forward to it."_

She could practically taste his sarcasm.


	75. As I Lay on My Bed

**Chapter 75: As I Lay on My Bed**

He could feel her anxiety a couple of nights later and wondered what was wrong.

"_Dear Tom, tomorrow is the big day. I don't think I'll be able to sleep at all!"_

"You better, you don't want to be lagging in the morning."

"_Yeah…"_

"_You know how just before something big happens, you start worrying about things?"_

"Don't tell me…"

"_It's happening."_

"What are you worrying about?"

"_Living up to expectation."_

What expectation? Being a poor Muggle-lover? Because that seemed to be the only expectation that her family held.

"You know you don't have to prove anything to anybody, Ginny."


	76. Fair and Wise

**Chapter 76: Fair and Wise**

"_Bill was Head Boy, Charlie was Quidditch Captain, Percy is Prefect, Fred and George are popular, and Ron is friends with _Harry Potter_."_

He had formed a room for himself just the day before and was now content to just lay across a desk as his quill scrawled the words for him.

"If you want to do something great, focus on what you truly want to achieve, not what others already have."

"_What if I don't make any friends?"_

"Out of the thousand children in the school, I'm sure one is bound to be your friend. Besides, you have me."


	77. Fair of Face

**Chapter 77: Fair of Face**

"_You'll make friends. You're usually a pleasant girl."_

"I'm nothing special. Everyone's gonna realize that sooner or later."

"_You won't know what happens until you get there. I assure you, everything will be fine."_

That was the problem though, she hated not knowing things. She wasn't a celebrity or anything, but she was sure somebody was expecting something since her family was friends with Harry Potter. She loved and hated that boy for this.

She hoped all her worries weren't annoying Tom too much. He said they didn't, but his replies always turned slower and shorter the more she wrote.


	78. Lay Them Straight

**Chapter 78: Lay Them Straight**

"_I'm sorry for boring you, Tom."_

He twitched and gazed at the book for a moment.

"You're not boring me," he lied.

"_You're lying. You said you have the mind of a sixteen year old and all you have is me to talk to. Just so you know, it would probably be way more interesting if you had something to talk about too."_

"I don't have anything to talk about."

"_You're lying again. I'm not the first person to talk to you. Tell me about who last wrote in you. I mean, how did you end up in a bookshop?"_


	79. Down Came the Rain

**Chapter 79: Down Came the Rain**

"_What."_

"Why were you in a bookshop?"

"_I didn't… know I was in a bookshop. Ginny, how did you find me?"_

She stared at the diary for a while, not sure what to think.

"You were stuck between a secondhand copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ in Flourish and Blotts."

"_So you just found me? In a bookshop where anybody could have picked me up?"_

"Well, yeah. Were you not supposed to be there?"

"_I… no."_

"Tom, are you alright?" He seemed to speechless, what was so strange about him being in a bookshop?

_Oh Merlin, he was abandoned._


	80. Cloudy Was the Weather

**Chapter 80: Cloudy Was the Weather**

This didn't make much sense to him. What had his true self been thinking? To be honest, he had no idea what was going on. He knew that since he was a Horcrux there would be no way he was dead.

The diary was planted inside a secondhand book, that proved he was intended to go into Hogwarts, but there was no guarantee that somebody would _buy_ that book. It was possible that the shopkeeper slipped it inside the book when she wasn't looking, but he doubted it, that would have been too risky to do.

_Does this change anything?_


	81. Early to Bed

******A/N: **It's funny. I'm having no problems writing the chapters but I'm having trouble with chapter titles. I honestly only expected about 200 chapters or less.

I'm on chapter 222.

* * *

**Chapter 81: Early to Bed**

"Tom…"

"_It's nothing… really. Just leave me alone to think for a while."_

"But Tom…"

"_Please, Ginny."_

"Alright, I'm sorry. I'll go to bed now. I'll be busy in the morning though so I'll write to you when I'm on the train, ok?"

He didn't reply, but she knew he understood. She closed the black diary and went under the covers of her bed. His old writer had left him in a book and gave it to Flourish and Blotts. He seemed to be so distressed about it. He probably thought he had been given to her, but by who?


	82. Early to Rise

**Chapter 82: Early to Rise**

"Ginny!"

She moaned and pulled a pillow over her head.

"_GINNY WAKE UP!_"

Shocked at how loud her mother was, she rolled out of bed and onto the floor. After she regained her bearings, she ran to the door.

"What, mum?" she shouted.

"Get up, get ready to go! Make sure you have all your things packed!"

She quickly changed out of her pajamas and stuffed them into her trunk, gathering a few quills and bottles of ink to throw in as well. She opened the door and dragged her trunk through it, slowly making her way down the stairs.


	83. So Early Every Morning

**A/N: **I've been on summer vacation for over a week and it's starting to make me update more than once a day… I need to stop doing that.

* * *

**Chapter 83: So Early Every Morning**

"Ginny, are you sure that you have everything packed?"

"Mum, I've been waiting to go to Hogwarts since Bill, I think I'm ready for this."

"Alright, have some breakfast and give your trunk to your father, try to keep out of everyone's way when you do the chores."

She helped herself to some bacon, eggs, and toast as she watched everyone scrambled around to gather their things that they hadn't packed the night before. It was great Harry confrontations practice since every time he passed by, she managed to not drop her fork or knock over anything to embarrass herself.


	84. If He Hollers Let Him Go

**Chapter 84: If He Hollers Let Him Go**

She was surprised at how fast everybody was ready. Usually no matter how early they woke up, her brothers were always late on the train to Hogwarts. She crawled into the front seat of the small car as her mother admired how Muggles were so efficient.

Finally the car started and they took off. She noticed Harry stare back at The Burrow longingly as if he was saying goodbye for the last time.

"Hold up, I forgot my Filibuster fireworks!" George shouted.

The car screeched to a halt and her mother scowled as her husband turned the car around quickly.


	85. Count to Ten

**Chapter 85: Count to Ten**

It took five minutes for George to find his fireworks and climb into the car between Fred and Percy. He was grinning sheepishly as his mother and Percy glared at him.

"Is everybody sure they have everything?" her dad asked.

"Yes," they all chanted.

They had barely gotten to the yard before Fred shouted:

"Wait, my broom! Dad, we've got to go back!"

Her mum gave him a scathing look then turned to her dad. "Keep going, Arthur!"

"He's on the Quidditch team, Molly," he said awkwardly, fiddling with the wheel.

"_Fine!_ But if anybody else forgets something I swear…"


	86. Home Again, Home Again

**Chapter 86: Home Again, Home Again**

She couldn't believe that they could just forget those things. It was _Hogwarts_. Didn't they know how special it was? It was the best school in the world, how could they not appreciate it? They treated it like it was nothing.

She looked at her mother through the corner of her eye and noticed she was still fuming silently. And for good reason.

Not only did they not appreciate it, but her mother had told them many times to have their things ready. Well, she honestly might've forgotten something too. Luckily she had Tom to… remind… her…

She forgot Tom.


	87. Much Too Late

**Chapter 87: Much Too Late**

"I FORGOT MY DIARY!" she practically screamed.

Her dad swerved the car in shock and they were forced to screech to a halt just as they were approaching the highway.

Her mum glared at her. "Ginny!"

"Mum, I forgot my diary, we _have_ to go back," she whimpered.

"I didn't know you had a diary," said Fred, grinning at George mischievously.

"We'll owl it to you, dear," her mother replied, obviously straining to remain calm. "We're running very late."

"But Mum, I _need_ it, we can't go!"

Tom was her friend, she couldn't leave him alone like his other owner.


	88. With Me

**Chapter 88: With Me**

She had resorted to bursting into tears until finally they turned the car around. She hadn't even cared if Harry thought she was acting like a baby, at the moment Tom was more important. Ginny practically flew out of the car and into her room, tearing her bed apart until the diary was in her hands. She hugged it tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Tom," she whispered, though she knew he couldn't hear her. There was no way she was going to tell him what she almost did.

She could hardly believe that she was getting so sentimental over a diary.


	89. Between Them

**Chapter 89: Between Them**

Tom was jolted out of his thoughts when Ginny picked him up. She was obviously feeling strongly about something if he was able to feel it even when she wasn't writing. For a moment he thought it was excitement, perhaps she was on the train already.

When the feeling slowly faded away, he concluded that Harry or her family had done something to her that made her extremely flustered.

While Ginny had left him alone to think, he decided to just carry on with what he was supposed to do. There was nothing to gain if he didn't do anything.


	90. Ready or Not

**A/N: **...I didn't notice the relationship between the chapter title and the first sentence. Totally spoils the next chapter title.

* * *

**Chapter 90: Ready or Not**

_Here I come._

The Hogwarts Express sparkled in her eyes as she gazed at it, not as an observer, but as a passenger. She would meet new friends and learn so much magic. Once she finished her education, she could go anywhere, be anything.

Her dad said something and wandered toward a group of adults, most likely Muggles. Her mum was with Percy, talking about how proud she was. She had given Ginny the same praise earlier.

With a grin, she entered the train and bent down to heave her luggage along with her.

She couldn't wait to tell Tom.


	91. Here I Come

**Chapter 91: Here I Come**

He had known Ginny for quite a few days now, it was time for him to test how well he would be able to control her. Right before she wrote would be the perfect opportunity, she would be so full of emotion and just waiting to tell him about the Hogwarts Express, she may even be worried about him because of last night. As soon as she touched the quill to the paper, he would possess her, maybe even explore the train to get any new information on what his true self was currently up to.

_I'll be waiting, Ginny._


	92. Oh Where, Oh Where Can He Be?

**Chapter 92: Oh Where, Oh Where Can He Be?**

"George, could you help me with my luggage?" Ginny asked politely, struggling to lift her school trunk up the steps to the train door. "Dad's a little preoccupied with Muggles."

"Barmy, he is," George murmured, and lifted it up and into an empty compartment. "You haven't seen Fred, have you? Thought I saw him go after Lee."

She shook her head. "No, have you seen Ron and Harry?"

"Didn't they come after you and Mum?" He raised his eyebrows.

She bit her lip. "Well yes, but I didn't see… It was pretty crowded, they're probably already here on the train."


	93. Wash Away

**Chapter 93: Wash Away**

After George left, Ginny opened the diary and placed her quill onto the page. In that second, she felt light and mellow.

She could hear a faint whisper in the back of her head and her thoughts felt fuzzy.

_How strange_.

_Not really, it's been a long morning, you're tired, aren't you?_

That voice… It was a friendly voice, it calmed her even more. But she didn't think it was hers…

_You don't have to think anymore, I'll help you._

Was that true? She didn't know. Her thoughts began to get fuzzier.

It was hard to tell what was true.


	94. The Lamb Was Sure to Go

**Chapter 94: The Lamb Was Sure to Go**

Tom could see through her eyes and hear through her ears. It was lovely to have those senses together. Unfortunately, he did not have the other three. He simply had control over her thoughts like the Imperius Curse. He was not completely sure if he would ever be able to control her whole body, it would make the whole thing much easier. The more he controlled her thoughts the more her subconscious would fight back. He would have to work quickly before she caught on to what was going on. Other than the occasional random thought, she was quite submissive.


	95. Mirror, Mirror

**Chapter 95: Mirror, Mirror**

He was startled when he saw Ginny's reflection in the compartment window. He had almost forgotten she was only a first year. She was short with red hair, freckles, and bright brown eyes. Unlike children at the orphanage, her skin wasn't unusually pale, it was slightly tanned.

She was so _young_.

"Can we sit here with you?"

Ginny's head darted up to look at two first years at the door of her compartment. One was holding a Muggle camera, and the other had a trunk hovering in the air. Tom saw a wonderful opportunity.

_Say yes._

"Yeah," she said monotonously.


	96. Slugs and Snails

**Chapter 96: Slugs and Snails**

"My name's Oliver Wicks," said the one with the floating trunk. He heaved it onto the luggage rack and did the same with his companion's. The one with the Muggle camera extended his hand and Ginny shook it slowly.

_Act normal, you stupid girl._

She smiled.

"I'm Colin Creevey."

"Ginny Weasley."

"Weasley?" Wicks repeated. "You're related to Ron Weasley so you _must_ know Harry Potter then!"

Creevey looked confused. "Who's Harry Potter?"

Ginny smirked when Wicks stood up dramatically. Tom would finally get his answers.

"You don't know who Harry Potter is? He's only the most famous wizard in history!"


	97. Once Upon a Time

**Chapter 97: Once Upon a Time**

"It's quite a story. I'll start from the beginning…

"You see, there was this really evil and dark wizard a few years back. He had all these other evil dark wizards as followers. He was starting to take over the whole Wizarding World. He was so scary, nobody could say his name."

Ginny winced from an unexpected pain in her head that was probably Tom's frustration. He wanted to strangle the boy to make him speak faster. Unfortunately, it would probably have the exact opposite effect.

"What was his name?" Creevey asked.

"Merlin, are you crazy? I can't say it!"


	98. Double Dog Dare

**Chapter 98: Double Dog Dare**

_Make him tell you. __**Make him tell you**__._

Ginny frowned. She didn't know how.

_Anything. Say anything. Just don't arouse any suspicion._

"Just say it, Creevey should know," Ginny said, fidgeting in her seat. Creevey nodded in agreement.

"It doesn't matter, he died a long time ago."

_Insult him, provoke him, make him say it. You don't need me to tell you everything, do you? Use what little brain you have!_

"Then you shouldn't be scared to say the name anymore. Are you a coward?"

Wicks grimaced and looked around, then lowered his head and whispered. "His name was Voldemort."


	99. We All Fall Down

**A/N: **Reviews are appreciated. Prove you didn't click this on accident.

* * *

**Chapter 99: We All Fall Down**

"_Ginny!_"

Ginny's eyes snapped open and noticed she was on the floor. She looked up and saw two unfamiliar boys staring at her, worried.

"What…who?" Her thoughts were all scrambled. The last thing she remembered was George helping her put her luggage up.

"Ginny, are you alright? Should I get somebody or-"

"I-I'm fine," she stuttered.

"See, that's why you're not supposed to say the name! That's why everybody says You-Know-Who!" one of the boys said frantically.

The boy with mousy brown hair picked up something from the floor and held it out to her. "Here, you dropped your book."


	100. Sat on a Wall

**A/N: **Chapter 100 and not close to being done. Thanks for the reviews, notably **xSeverusxCrookshanksx** and **akeginu** who wrote like, 80% of them.

* * *

**Chapter 100: Sat on a Wall**

Tom slammed his fist on his desk. He was furious. How _dare_ she drop the diary now? He was still learning to possess her properly, so she needed to be in physical contact for him to possess her completely.

He winced when he felt an unfamiliar person handling his diary. The next second, he felt he was back in Ginny's hands and immediately seized her mind, but just enough to listen to the conversation. He didn't want her to think her blackouts had anything to do with him. He'd only take over her mind completely when he needed more information.


	101. Stolen Away

**Chapter 101: Stolen Away**

"You sure you're alright?" the boy asked.

Ginny nodded, massaging her temple. Her head felt so fuzzy, but she didn't want to tell two strangers. She would tell Tom about it later and see what he thought was wrong with her. She held the diary closer to her chest as if to get some comfort from it. Half of her actually wished the two boys would leave the compartment so she could write to him. Who were they anyway? For some reason she was sure they were Colin and Oliver.

"Anyway, back to what I was saying…," Oliver said awkwardly


	102. In the Middle of the Night

**Chapter 102: In the Middle of the Night**

"You-Know-Who was searching for James and Lily, Harry Potter's parents. Nobody knows why, he might've wanted to get them out of the way since they were close to Dumbledore. He found them on Halloween night eleven years ago when Harry Potter was just a year old.

"When he found them, he killed them. He killed Lily and James. But when he tried to kill Harry Potter…"

Colin Creevey leaned forward in his seat, eyes wide. "What happened?"

"He cast the killing curse… but Harry Potter didn't die."

Her head began to throb painfully but the boys didn't notice her grimace.


	103. The Little Boy

**Chapter 103: The Little Boy**

"The killing curse?"

"It never fails, nobody has ever survived, except Harry Potter."

"But what happened to Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who?"

"He disappeared, vanished. The darkest wizard in the world was defeated because he couldn't kill a defenseless baby."

His rage spiked and almost made Ginny keel over in pain, so he quickly reined it in before she could draw their attention.

A _baby_, he had been destroyed by a mere _baby_? By Harry Potter, the one who Ginny lived with for the summer, the object of her affections. It couldn't be, there had to be more to the story.


	104. Battle Was Lost

**Chapter 104: Battle Was Lost**

"The thing is, Harry Potter got out of it with only a scar on his forehead. Lightning-shaped, right… here." He pointed at a spot on Colin's forehead and the boy practically fell over in awe.

_Ask if there's more, ask why, ask... something._

"Why would You-Know-Who disappear?"

Wicks shrugged. "Nobody knows. Maybe he killed too many times. Maybe Harry Potter was so powerful, the curse rebounded." He frowned. "Shouldn't you already know this?"

_You knew._

"I do, I was just wondering what you thought."

_You never told me._

The voice had gone very soft, it chilled her to the bone.


	105. How Many Were Going

**A/N: **I'm on chapter 400... I can pretty much upload 5 of these a day or in groups of 10-20 what do you think?

* * *

**Chapter 105: How Many Were Going**

"Harry Potter is so amazing!" Creevey said. "Is he on the train?"

Wicks nodded. "He should be. Although I wouldn't be surprised if he had his own private compartment."

"Let's go look for him, it'd be awesome to meet him!"

Wicks looked at Ginny eagerly. "You know him, do you think you could introduce us to him?"

_No._

"I don't want to be the one to introduce him to his new stalkers."

When the boys left the compartment, Tom pulled out of Ginny's mind and waited for her to write to him. He didn't have to wait long.

"_Dear Tom…"_


	106. Strangers Like Me

**Chapter 106:**

"Hello, Ginny," he replied.

"_I'm on the train now. I met two boys… kind of."_

"Kind of?"

"_I didn't know them, but I knew their names. I… I think I passed out and knocked my head around a bit."_

"What do you mean? Are you alright?"

"_I woke up on the floor and after they made sure I was ok, they went back to the story of Harry Potter as if they had been talking about it the whole time. I must have fallen and hit my head, causing me to forget that I had met them a moment before."_


	107. Keeps the Doctor Away

**Chapter 107: Keeps the Doctor Away**

"_That's not good. Are you in any pain?"_

"No. I'll visit the school nurse when we get to Hogwarts and she can check it."

"_It will most likely be empty in the Hospital Wing since everybody will be at the Sorting in the Great Hall. You'll get the full care and attention you need before your own sorting."_

Ginny furrowed her brow. Something in her mind had clicked but she wasn't exactly sure what caused it. She really didn't want to miss the feast or everybody else's sorting. She would also look like a freak if she came in late.


	108. Washed the Spider Out

**Chapter 108: Washed the Spider Out**

"_I'll wait after the Sorting."_

He smirked. If she waited, she would not be able to go at all. Nobody would be able to resist the magnificent feast that appeared after the Sorting. Ginny would probably forget all about it.

"_I'm fine."_

"If you're sure…"

"_You don't exactly get to be Sorted every day you know."_

"Yes, your own sorting is a once in a lifetime experience." Excitement.

"_What house were you in, Tom?"_

The reply was so automatic, that he didn't even think of the mistake he had just made until it was too late.

"I was in Slytherin."


	109. The Less He Spoke

**Chapter 109: The Less He Spoke**

She knew it. Tom was a _person._He knew things about Hogwarts she had never told him. The Great Hall, the Hospital Wing, the Sorting Ceremony, and he said Slytherin. She had never talked about that house.

"So you were a Slytherin? That's not surprising. I've always heard that they're just rotten liars."

He didn't reply. He probably already knew the mistake he made and was thinking about what to do next.

"You said you were sixteen. Does that mean you never finished Hogwarts before you were turned into a diary?"

"_Ginny…"_

"I really don't like being lied to, Tom."


	110. Liar Liar

**Chapter 110: Liar, Liar**

"I wasn't really lying," he wrote, attempting to keep calm. He could deal with this, he just had to keep his mind clear.

"_Well like you said, lying by omission. You're a real person."_

"I might be."

"_I know you are! You've been lying this whole time! You're probably some creeper on the other side of the diary."_

"I'm not. Ginny, I didn't want to tell you before because I knew you would try to help me… You're the type of person to help those who are in hopeless situations."

"_Flattery will get you nowhere."_

"I'm trapped in this diary."


	111. Bibbity Bobbity Boo

**Chapter 111: Bibbity Bobbity Boo**

"What? How could you be trapped in a diary? It's too small."

"_Obviously its magic."_

"So how did you get stuck in there? You could have had someone get you out."

"_The problem is we can't have two Tom Riddles running around. It seems only part of the original Tom Riddle was placed in this diary."_

It made sense but…

"Well maybe I can find the original Tom, he might know something."

"_Ginny… who do you think left me in a bookshop?"_

"You mean he was your first writer? Why would he do that to himself?"

"_I'm not too sure."_


	112. Remember Remember

**Chapter 112: Remember Remember**

"_I've always been a kind of narcissist. I suppose the original Tom could not stand there being two Tom Riddles in this world, so he sought to get rid of me."_

"You don't seem too self-centered to me, you talk to me a lot about my feelings."

"_I've mellowed a bit. That long period of darkness with no one to talk to but yourself can have quite an effect on your personality. It's taken a toll on my memory as well. I know about my home, Hogwarts, and my personality… But names and faces… I can't even remember my parents."_


	113. Poor Unfortunate Soul

**Chapter 113:**

"I'm so sor-"

"_Please, don't. I don't like sympathy."_

Ginny stopped writing and wondered what to say next. She couldn't imagine not remembering her parents. A large part of her wanted to help him get out of the diary, but that was exactly what he didn't want her to do. This was probably going to be difficult. How would she make any new friends at Hogwarts if she had to live with the guilt of not writing to Tom that often?

"_I'm sorry for keeping that information private."_

"It's ok. I can see why you didn't want to tell me."


	114. One Last Hope

**Chapter 114:**

Ginny spent about an hour more writing to Tom when Colin and Oliver returned. They didn't ask her what she was writing, so she was pleased that she could talk to them and write to Tom at the same time. She even transcribed some parts of their conversations to him.

"Colin's a Muggle-born so he hasn't a clue what house he'll be in and Oliver's hoping for Ravenclaw," she wrote.

"_What about you? What house are you hoping for?"_

"Gryffindor of course, just like the rest of my family."

"_Do you think you're brave enough for Gryffindor?"_

"I hope so."


	115. Who Put Her In?

**Chapter 115:**

"I'm curious, Ginny, why on earth would you want to be in Gryffindor with your brothers if you have so many insecurities that involve them?"

"_What do you mean?"_

"You want to continue living in close quarters with the same brothers who tease you. To be perfectly honest I think it may be foolish since you are so afraid that your peers at Hogwarts will judge you by what your brothers do instead of what you do yourself. Are you not worried that your brothers will tease you in front of all the other students?"

"_I… never thought about that."_


	116. Who Pulled Her Out?

**Chapter 116:**

"_I thought they were things you would consider."_

Ginny shifted uncomfortably. When Colin asked her was wrong, she just shook her head and smiled.

"I don't mean to be intrusive, but what are you writing, Ginny?" Oliver asked. His eyes glittered with curiosity.

She blushed. "It's private."

"A diary?" He smirked when her blush deepened. "Diaries symbolize hope and aspirations and a creative mind. What house do you want to be in?"

"I was hoping Gryffindor… but now I'm not sure."

"You'll get into Gryffindor for sure," Colin assured.

Unlike Tom, they didn't really consider _why_she wasn't so sure.


	117. Chapter 117

**Chapter 117:**

"_Colin says he's sure I'll get into Gryffindor, but he doesn't even know me. He doesn't get it."_

It would be difficult if she made any friends such as Creevey and Wicks. They would keep a close eye on her and would probably notice any suspicious behavior. He already had her brothers to deal with.

"Does it bother you that nobody knows you?"

"_My family knows me."_

"Are you sure about that? They don't seem to know how you feel about them."

"…_It might bother me a little."_

"I can get to know you, you just have to let me."


	118. Chapter 118

**Chapter 118:**

Tom could feel her amusement and smirked in response as he waited for her to answer him.

"_Is this another one of your 'tell me about your feelings because I'm a diary' things?"_

He didn't hesitate in his reply. "Yes."

"_Merlin, Tom, you're like a teenage schoolgirl waiting for juicy gossip."_

"Lovely. I suppose we don't _have _to talk about your romantic dilemma with Harry Potter."

"_Exactly!"_

"So is Harry in Gryffindor?"

"_And you still bring him up. Yes, he's in Gryffindor. Speaking of Gryffindors, Hermione is here, she's Harry's and Ron's friend. I'll be right back, it seems important."_


	119. Chapter 119

**Chapter 119:**

Hermione had poked her head into the compartment and looked straight at Ginny.

"Ginny, can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure." She looked around for a place to put Tom, but then changed her mind and carried him with her outside of the compartment.

"You remember me, right? Hermione Granger."

She nodded. "I remember. You're Ron's friend. What's up?"

"I can't find Ron or Harry anywhere. Did they come on the train with you?"

A shiver went down her spine. "I haven't seen them since we arrived at the platform, I thought they were already on the train."


	120. Chapter 120

**Chapter 120:**

Fear, discomfort, near panic.

_Interesting._

Tom wondered what set off those emotions and if she would share it with him. It must have had something to do with that _Hermione_ and whatever had been so important for her to talk to Ginny about. It most likely had something to do with her family, so he expected an entry from her soon.

He didn't have to wait long.

"_Dear Tom, Harry and Ron aren't on the train, they were left behind!"_

Of course it was Harry related. Although he couldn't say anything to do with Harry Potter was no longer interesting.


	121. Chapter 121

**Chapter 121:**

"_Are you absolutely certain?"_

"Yes! We're checking again to be sure! What do we do, Tom?" Ginny had just finished looking through a few compartments with Hermione.

"_They'll be fine, Ginny. If they were left behind, your parents will find them."_

"But how will they get here?"

"_Look, there are many ways of transportation. Apparation, flying on broomsticks, the Floo Network, Portkey… You're a witch, you know this."_

"What if my parents already left the train station?"

"_Do they have an owl?"_

"Harry does."

"_Then they'll send a letter to Hogwarts. Honestly, Ginny, there's no need to panic at all."_


	122. Chapter 122

**Chapter 122:**

Students were left behind all the time, at least back when he attended Hogwarts. He missed the train in his fourth year after the Holidays when Dippet had insisted he go back to the orphanage (after some persuasion from Dumbledore, no doubt) because he had to help Mrs. Cole to get some reluctant children to school. It had been a horrible experience although he was given the opportunity to travel through the Floo Network for the first time.

"_I guess you're right, but I can't help but worry about them."_

"You're too kind. You should start looking out for yourself."


	123. Chapter 123

**Chapter 123:**

Fortunately for Tom, he seemed to have reassured her enough for her to start talking about non-important things. Soon excitement radiated from Ginny and into the diary. It was a strange sensation, it was almost as if the excitement was from himself.

_Hogwarts._

The one place he felt he belonged. There was an unfamiliar pang of longing to get out of the diary to explore the castle like before, but that wasn't possible. Not yet.

"_How'd you know?"_

For a moment he was confused, then realized that "Hogwarts" must have accidentally been displayed on the diary.

"Lucky guess," he replied.


	124. Chapter 124

**Chapter 124:**

Ginny told Tom goodbye quickly before leaving the train.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! C'mon, mind yer step now!"

She gazed up at the lamp bobbing high above their heads and then at a giant man she assumed was Hagrid. He had a wild look to him which was a bit intimidating.

Down a narrow path near a large lake was a magnificent castle. She gasped loudly and was relieved that she wasn't the only one.

"All right then, no more'n four to a boat!"

After scrambling into the boat, Hagrid made sure everybody was settled before shouting:

"FORWARD!"


	125. Chapter 125

**Chapter 125:**

Colin nudged her shoulder and pointed at the lake. "What is that?"

Ginny looked down into the water and subconsciously pulled Tom closer to her chest when she thought she saw an extremely large tentacle surface from the water for just a second. Perhaps bringing him down with her to the boats was not the best idea.

The view was amazing though. She wondered if Tom had experienced the same thing she was when he had first come to Hogwarts. She really hoped so, even though he rarely talked about Hogwarts she had a feeling he had really liked it.


	126. Chapter 126

**Chapter 126:**

He had no idea what she was feeling, there seemed to be far too many emotions for them to even exist in one person. She would be in the Great Hall by now, waiting to get Sorted. He had a feeling she would get Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat did tend to sort the families into the same House.

When Tom pictured the Great Hall, he was pleasantly surprised when it formed inside the diary. It was a clear memory of his own Sorting. The event was strangely calming and he was content to watch it as he waited for Ginny.


	127. Chapter 127

**Chapter 127:**

"_Hmm, another Weasley. First girl for seven generations, aren't you?"_

_That's right._

"_Courage, yes, I can see that. The Weasleys are well known for their bravery. You can become much more than a Weasley though, that much is obvious. Will you stand out of the crowd if you're in the same house?"_

Just like Tom had told her. If she wanted to stand out she had to focus on herself, not her brothers.

"_Interesting."_

_Huh?_

"_Another mind. None of my business though, as this does not change my decision of placing you in-"_

_Wait! What do you mean another-_

"GRYFFINDOR!"


	128. Chapter 128

**Chapter 128:**

Tom approached the stool his younger self was sitting on as soon as the hat dropped over his eyes. He could hear the Sorting Hat's thoughts again as if it were actually speaking to him instead of the eleven year old Tom.

"_Tom Riddle. Let's see now. You certainly are a very remarkable boy. An excellent mind. However…"_

His younger self huffed in annoyance.

"_Ambition, cunning, and determination. You will put your own needs and desires ahead of any others."_

"_You will be a great wizard, Riddle. Capable of doing things others can only dream of. It better be…_ _SLYTHERIN!"_


	129. Chapter 129

**Chapter 129:**

The cheers from the Gryffindor table were loud and coming mostly from Fred and George. It was disappointing that there was still no sign of Ron or Harry though.

Ginny sat next to Colin at the Gryffindor table, smiling at everyone who was congratulating her. When "Oliver Wicks" was called and sorted into Ravenclaw, a thin man in long black robes went up to the stool and whispered something to Professor McGonagall. He looked extremely cheerful while she remained expressionless and left to hall, leaving a squat witch with grey hair and a battered hat to finish the Sorting instead.


	130. Chapter 130

**Chapter 130:**

The feast was spectacular, although it didn't feel the same as when she ate her mother's meals. She talked to a few girls who were in her year and began to wonder which ones would be in her dorm, they all seemed nice enough. She hoped her brothers wouldn't get a chance to say something embarrassing.

"Is Harry Potter here?" Colin asked.

"I'm sure he'll be here," said Ginny.

A fourth year Gryffindor stood up and shouted: "I heard from a prefect that Harry Potter got expelled!"

There was silence before the whole table screamed at the same time.

"WHAT?"


	131. Chapter 131

**Chapter 131:**

"_Harry's expelled!"_

Waves of panic, worse than when she noticed Harry and Ron had missed the train. Tom didn't even have a chance to compose a reply when she was writing again.

"_Harry and Ron drove dad's stupid flying car to school into a big tree that tries to kill you!"_

"A flying car?" He didn't recall a murderous tree at Hogwarts.

"_Dad made the car fly. He's never flown it before, but Ron, George, and Fred flew it to save Harry from his aunt and uncle. I bet it was all Ron's idea! Now I'll never see them again!"_


	132. Chapter 132

**Chapter 132:**

"_Ginny, they're expelled, not dead."_

"I know, but they still won't be here!"

"_So they were expelled for flying a car into a tree?"_

"A tree that tried to kill them, yes. Ron's so stupid."

"_And how were you informed of their expulsion?"_

"Another student."

"_Did a teacher confirm it for you?"_

"Well no, but it makes sense because Muggles saw them flying it."

"_So you still don't know that they're expelled. Wait until you have all the facts, Ginny. It's likely they did get expelled if they were caught but they might not have. Who's your headmaster?"_

"Albus Dumbledore."


	133. Chapter 133

**Chapter 133:**

Albus Dumbledore. _Albus Dumbledore_. Of course it was Dumbledore. Dippet wouldn't be headmaster at his age. The man had been over two or three hundred when Tom had been in school. He was probably _dead_ by now.

"_Was Dumbledore headmaster back when you were in Hogwarts?"_

"I don't think so."

"_So you don't know if he'd expel them or not I guess."_ Disappointment.

"Dumbledore's a tolerant man."

"_So you know him!"_

"Yes, I think so. Maybe he was a teacher or a visitor, I'm not certain."

"I forgot about your memory. Do you remember anything else about him?"

"_He's old."_


	134. Chapter 134

**Chapter 134:**

"_Are you being deliberately unhelpful and unreassuring?"_

"You can't blame me for not remembering the details of my life from fifty years ago."

"_You know he's a tolerant man and that he's old. You have to have a reason to think he's tolerant."_

_Touché._

"I remember not liking him very much."

"_That's a start! So you don't like him. Funny though, my parents really like him."_

He didn't think that pretending he couldn't remember anything would be so annoying.

"Harry and Ron will not be expelled. Dumbledore absolutely loves the Gryffindors."

"_What-"_

"He was head of Gryffindor in my time."


	135. Chapter 135

**Chapter 135:**

"…You're confusing, Tom. Do you remember things or not?"

"_I'm torn between telling you things I remember so you will trust me and keeping things to myself for privacy. I'm sorry about that."_

Ginny tapped her quill on the page. There was a group of people crowding by the common room door. "I'm not really sure what I want either."

She craned her head around the large group that was leaning forward and getting more excited. There was a loud applause and some cheering. It didn't take long to see why.

Harry and Ron had just entered the common room.


	136. Chapter 136

**Chapter 136:**

"You left quite abruptly," he noted, irritated.

Embarrassment. She must have done something stupid.

"_Harry and Ron just came into the common room, they weren't expelled."_

"I told you so."

"_Whatever. They went up into their dorm though. I think they were scared of Percy. Everybody else here was cheering and congratulating them."_

"So you were sorted in Gryffindor. Congratulations."

"_Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you. Thank you."_

"Interesting house reaction. You say they were cheering that their housemates crashed into a murderous tree."

"_It wasn't like that."_

"Did you congratulate them?"

"_No… I fell out of my chair."_


	137. Chapter 137

**Chapter 137:**

He snorted at that. Falling out of a chair because she saw her crush? It was ridiculous.

"_I'm awfully tired, I think I'm gonna go to bed."_

He narrowed his eyes at the copy of the diary Ginny's words had been written on.

"You can't be that tired." She was, he could feel it.

"_It's been a long day, Tom. That feast made me even more tired than I would usually be. It's really, really, warm here too."_

"Don't go to bed yet, please stay up a little longer."

"_Come on, I'm exhausted. I can write to you tomorrow, ok?"_


	138. Chapter 138

**Chapter 138:**

"Just a little longer, Ginny."

"_Fine. What do you want to talk about? Make it quick."_ Irritation.

Good, she'd probably answer quicker.

"Tell me about the flying car. I find it remarkable that wizards are able to use them. Fifty years ago Muggles were more concerned about making vehicles for the military than for the public."

"_Wizards still don't use them because it's too complicated. My dad's just obsessed with the Muggle stuff."_

"So he can't drive it?"

"_He can, but I think Fred and George drive it better."_

"You did say that they saved Harry… Tell me about that."


	139. Chapter 139

**Chapter 139:**

Ginny was really tired and irritable now, so she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. She was only doing this because she had class tomorrow.

"Harry was at his aunt and uncle's house. They're really mean to him. Ron said they barred his windows and locked him in his room to keep him away from other wizards and Hogwarts."

"_His aunt and uncle are Muggles?"_

"Yes."

"_So Harry's a Muggle-born?"_

"No, his parents were wizards."

"_What happened to them?"_

"They died and now he's with his remaining relatives. What's worse is that they don't like magic."


	140. Chapter 140

******A/N:** I should do my online english summer course thingy... I failed that class terribly.

* * *

**Chapter 140:**

"_They tried to stamp the magic out of him or something."_

He couldn't help but sneer at that. It took some effort to stop what he was thinking from being displayed on the diary, they were very unflattering thoughts and certainly nothing that Ginny would approve of.

"That's stupid."

"_I know. But anyway, Harry wasn't returning any of Ron and Hermione's letters so they assumed something was wrong. Fred, George, and Ron stole dad's car and flew it over to free Harry. They didn't let me come because I probably would have messed everything up."_

"Heroic of them, I suppose."


	141. Chapter 141

**Chapter 141:**

"I'm exhausted."

"_I'm sorry for keeping you up. Go ahead and go to bed."_

"Goodnight, Tom."

"_Goodnight."_

She slid out of her armchair and closed the diary. Only a few students remained in the common room. She ran up the stairs to the girl's dorms and entered one that said "first years".

"Hello, you must be Ginny Weasley," said a rather tall girl as soon as she walked in. "I'm Becky Harris."

A few other girls looked over. She already learned their names at dinner. Elise Webb, Ivy Cox, and Bertha Taylor. She really hoped that they'd all be friends.


	142. Chapter 142

**Chapter 142:**

As soon as Tom felt her touch the diary, he entered her mind. Her body immediately relaxed and there were a few questioning thoughts, but he gently drove them away.

_Hold onto the diary, keep it under the pillow._

She placed the diary under her pillow, keeping her hand on it as she lay down and gazed around the room.

One of the other girls noticed. "Ginny, aren't you tired?"

_Lie._

"No, I'm too excited to sleep."

"Well don't keep us up, we want to wake up on time."

_Leave. Take the diary._

"Sorry, I'll be in the common room."


	143. Chapter 143

**Chapter 143:**

Ginny exited the dorms and stood at the bottom of the staircase. Other students were still gathered around the common room but they weren't paying any attention to her. She walked across the room and up to the notice board, staring at it without actually reading. Tom could feel her exhaustion, but he decided to ignore it.

_I am hopeful that you memorized the password._

She did. Wattlebird.

_That's the most ridicu… Never mind. Leave the common room, be discrete._

After double checking that nobody was looking, she opened the door and slid out before anybody could see her face.


	144. Chapter 144

**Chapter 144:**

Tired.

Tom sighed. _We'll be exploring the castle. You can't deny that isn't something you don't want to do._

Excitement.

He searched her mind quickly, catching any conversations Percy had with her. Specifically for the houses of the Head Boy and Girl.

_Abigail of Hufflepuff and Evan of Slytherin. Interesting._

Curiosity.

_You wouldn't be caught dead in the Slytherin common room, so Hufflepuff it is._

Alarm.

He was surprised when he felt some resistance against his control. He quickly forced himself into all the corners of her mind. Her mind dimmed again and he guided her to the kitchen corridor.


	145. Chapter 145

**Chapter 145:**

Ginny stopped in front of a stack of dusty barrels. Although her mind felt fuzzy, she could still feel somebody thinking for her. Her hand went to her concealed wand and pulled it out slowly. It hovered at the bottom barrel of the middle and moved up twice. She tapped it twice the first time, then three times the second. When nothing happened, she began to wonder what went wrong.

She jumped when the lid of the barrel swung wide open and revealed a passageway. Something in the back of her mind told her this was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.


	146. Chapter 146

**Chapter 146:**

_It's fine. People go into different common rooms all the time._

She wouldn't move. It was frustrating and tiring him out, he couldn't possess her that long. He pushed her gently, worried that the possession might break.

_Go forward._

_No. This isn't right._

She was replying, that wasn't good. He relaxed his hold on her a little and she pulled back immediately.

_You won't go in all the way. You will be fine, nobody will get in trouble, nobody will get hurt…_

That seemed to relax her a little. He gave her a few more reassurances, then she stepped forward.


	147. Chapter 147

**Chapter 147:**

The voice kept its word and let her stay at the very edge of the passageway, but she still had a nice view of the common room. Everybody had gone to bed.

_Prepare to run._

She was filled with dread.

_Not for your life. Just to avoid trouble._The voice seemed genuinely amused now.

She fiddled with her wand then raised it into the air and flicked it.

_"Accio,"_ she said clearly.

After a minute, a piece of parchment flew into her hand. She didn't have a chance to examine it before she felt herself running away into another corridor.


	148. Chapter 148

**Chapter 148:**

"Wake up, Weasley!"

Ginny snorted awake, her eyelids extremely heavy.

"Al-already?" she mumbled.

"That's what you get for staying up late," Ivy snickered.

She frowned, surprised. "I wasn't up that late. I came up here and went to bed."

Ivy snorted. "Sure, you went out before because you were _so excited_ about Hogwarts. You came back at two in the morning and wouldn't stop moving around for an hour."

"No… what are you talking about?"

Ivy and Becky stared at her curiously.

"Maybe you were sleepwalking," Elise suggested. "You sounded like a zombie."

"I've never sleepwalked before," said Ginny, shocked.


	149. Chapter 149

**Chapter 149:**

"_Dear Tom, I was sleepwalking last night."_

"That's interesting. What did your roommates have to say about that?"

"_They just said I was moving around a lot and left the common room. I don't even remember lying down to sleep."_

"You've never mentioned sleepwalking before. Is this the first time?"

"_I think so. It's kind of creepy. What if I had fallen down the stairs or something? I don't know this place, so I doubt my sleeping body would."_

"Don't you have classes?"

"_Breakfast, actually. I'll put you under my pillow and write after class, ok?"_

"Until then, Ginny."

"_Bye."_


	150. Chapter 150

**Chapter 150:**

"Morning, Ginny," said Fred cheerfully, putting both his hands on her shoulders.

George ruffled her hair a little and sat on her left while Fred slid into the seat on her right.

She stabbed her eggs with a fork.

"Any secrets you wish to share?" Fred continued, pulling her closer into a half hug.

"A kind of secret that leads to guilt?"

"Anything that can lead to blackmail?"

"Fred!" George gasped, faking shock.

Ginny sighed and placed her fork at the side of her plate, folding her hands in front of her. "I'm not telling you where my diary is."


	151. Chapter 151

**Chapter 151:**

Ginny was about to get up and leave when Ron came up to them followed closely by Harry. His ears were extremely red as he stood in front of them, shifting uncomfortably. She could help but stare at the raven-haired boy.

"Yes, Ronniekins?" said George sweetly.

He held up his broken wand awkwardly. "It… it snapped. Do you know how to…?"

For once the twins looked serious. Fred shrugged. "Nope, sorry."

"You don't have anything to keep it together?" Harry asked, almost desperately.

"I have Spellotape!" Ginny blurted.

Harry grinned at her and she felt like her heart just stopped.


	152. Chapter 152

**Chapter 152:**

Professor Lockhart was twenty minutes late for class.

Ginny was completely unimpressed when he came in, robes bellowing dramatically behind him when he slammed the door open. He was smiling widely, revealing his brilliant white teeth.

"I am sure you're all wondering why I'm a little late. Gilderoy Lockhart, that is to say, I-" He winked at them. "-was busy assisting one of your Professors. Of course, I don't want you to think I'm a better teacher! Although I have many extraordinary talents, I don't think even somebody like me will be able to teach the entire school population alone!"


	153. Chapter 153

**Chapter 153:**

Tom went over the memory of what had happened the night before a few times. It was a relief that he could go over them even though he had been using Ginny's body.

He had stolen the prefect patrol times and duties from the Head Girl. He didn't think he needed it, but it was good to take precautions and he'd been able to test the strength of his possession on Ginny. She wasn't fighting him yet, she was just reluctant to do what he asked. That could easily change though. He would have to experiment more throughout the week.


	154. Chapter 154

**Chapter 154:**

"Dear Tom, Professor Lockhart is an idiot."

"_Back so soon?"_

"It's lunch time," Ginny replied. "I'm back in my dorm for it."

"_You should eat something, Ginny."_

"I got a banana and some crackers. Now let me complain."

"_Alright then. What does Professor Lockhart teach?"_

"Defense Against the Dark Arts. He's famous, but completely lousy."

"_Famous?"_

"He's fought lots of Dark Creatures and he's a genius when it comes to magic. And he's handsome to boot. Everybody simply loves him."

"_It's not hard to see why."_

She scowled. "He's a total fraud! Harry is better than him. I know it."


	155. Chapter 155

**Chapter 155:**

"Do tell."

Tom had coincidentally been thinking about Harry Potter when Ginny started writing. He honestly _had_ been surprised that she actually took her lunch time to talk to him. Not that he was complaining.

"_Harry destroyed You-Know-Who. Harry is the youngest seeker in a century. Harry took down a troll. Harry protected the Philosopher's Stone!"_

He was stunned.

"The Philosopher's Stone?"

"_Yeah, it's a stone that let's-"_

"I know what it is. For a moment I thought you claimed that Harry, a boy who is twelve, had the Stone. _The Philosopher's Stone._"

"_Actually, he was eleven at the time."_


	156. Chapter 156

**Chapter 156:**

Harry Potter not only drove the original Tom - Voldemort - away, but he had the Philosopher's Stone? _The_Stone?

"How did he… Why did Harry have the Stone?"

"_Ron said it appeared in his pocket when You-Know-Who was trying to take it."_

How bloody fantastic. Of course. He should have expected that.

"_He's brilliant. After he got the Stone, all he had to do was touch You-Know-Who and he was destroyed. AGAIN. Not once, but twice, Tom! Tell Professor Lockhart to do something like that. He's not nearly as amazing as Harry."_

He was dangerously close to laughing now.


	157. Chapter 157

**Chapter 157:**

"_I forgot, you don't know who You-Know-Who is!"_

He forgot he wasn't supposed to know. "I assumed he was a bad person."

"_Yeah, he was a powerful Dark Wizard."_

"So Harry is a very powerful wizard, isn't he? Defeater of trolls and protector of the Philosopher's Stone."

"_Yup! Professor Dumbledore tries to keep the troll incident and the Stone from the public outside of school though. I don't think he wants him to get too much attention."_

"Interesting…" Dumbledore didn't want Potter's achievements out in the open? He must be quite… special to get the old coot's protection and attention.


	158. Chapter 158

**Chapter 158:**

"_You should tell me more about Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."_

Why did he always want to talk about Harry? "Enough Harry things, geez."

"_Actually, I'm much more interested in the Stone. For someone such as Harry to get hold of it is amazing. Nicolas Flamel created the only stone known in existence; it's capable of creating the Elixir of Life. It's truly a priceless piece of work, Ginny."_

She smiled a little. "You were a bookworm, weren't you?"

"_I suppose you can say that."_

"And now you're a book. Funny, isn't it?"

"_Oh yes. Very funny. Har har."_


	159. Chapter 159

**Chapter 159:**

Ginny looked at the clock on Ivy's bed, lunch was almost over.

"I have to go. Lunch is over and I don't want to be late for class. I'll tell you about what happened later, ok?

He took a moment to reply, then finally:

"_Fine."_

The one word seemed strained and forced. Maybe he was already annoyed that her time was being taken up because of school.

"Tom, you know you're my friend, right?"

"_What?"_

"_Oh yes, I know…"_

"You're special. It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket."

A bell chimed.

"Got to go, bye."


	160. Chapter 160

**Chapter 160:**

Classes were over faster than she thought. Right after supper she went to her dorm to write to Tom. When she opened the book, she was surprised to see the words appearing on the page before she had even dipped her quill into the ink.

"_Tell me."_

"Merlin, Tom, I didn't even write anything yet. How did you even know I was here?"

"_Diary intuition."_She scoffed at that.

"Right, sure."

"_I just know. It's similar to how I would know if somebody else was writing in my diary."_

"Oh. Ok, well I'll tell you about Harry and the Stone."


	161. Chapter 161

**Chapter 161:**

"_Last year Dumbledore told the students not to go through a special door unless they wanted to die. One night, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville accidentally went through it and found a giant three-headed dog that tried to kill them."_

"A three-headed dog. In a school?" It wasn't that surprising; there was a basilisk in the plumbing after all.

"_Yeah, it belonged to Hagrid. He named it Fluffy."_

_Rubeus_ Hagrid? No, it wasn't possible. There was simply _no way_ that Rubeus was still at Hogwarts. He was sure the half giant had been expelled, why was he at the school?


	162. Chapter 162

**Chapter 162:**

"_They decided that the dog was guarding something. Harry remembered a break-in at Gringotts. Somebody had robbed a vault he and Hagrid had emptied before the robbery. He, Ron, and Hermione decided to research it and eventually figured out it was the Philosopher's Stone."_

"They must be clever."

"_Hermione is. She's the brightest witch of her age."_

"And she's in Gryffindor?"

"_Yeah. Anyway, the reason they tried to find out what it was is because they thought Professor Snape was going to steal it."_

"Who is he?"

"_He's the Potion's Master and Head of Slytherin House. He's creepy and mean."_


	163. Chapter 163

**Chapter 163:**

"_They found out the day Snape was going to take the Stone, but they couldn't tell Dumbledore because he'd left the castle. When they told a teacher she didn't believe them so they set out to stop Snape themselves."_

_How stupid. _"How brave."

"_They learned how to get past Fluffy because Hagrid accidentally told them. Playing music made him fall asleep so they slid through a trapdoor and into a pit of Devil's Snare."_

"Deadly."

"_Very. Hermione knew how to deal with it and lit a fire so they got past it and into a chamber of keys with wings."_


	164. Chapter 164

**Chapter 164:**

"_Harry used his Seeker skills to catch the key to unlock a door. The next room was a giant chess set they had to play across. Ron sacrificed himself and they won. Harry and Hermione went into another room with a dead troll because whoever had been ahead of them killed it. The last obstacle was Snape's. You had to drink the right potion to get into the room where the Stone was."_

"My, oh, my. Dumbledore really does create the best defenses."

"_Yeah, it was pretty clever."_

"Indeed, only three children were able to pass through to the Stone."


	165. Chapter 165

**Chapter 165:**

She raised an eyebrow. He really didn't like Dumbledore, did he? Although he did have a point.

"No need to be rude."

"_Go on."_

"Harry got through to the Stone and found Professor Quirrell. Professor Quirrell was pathetic according to Ron so they didn't expect him. He was standing in front of the Mirror of Erised. He made Harry stand in front of it and caused Harry to see himself place the Stone in his pocket where it was in. He lied about what he saw and caused You-Know-Who to reveal himself. He was on the back of Quirrell's head."


	166. Chapter 166

**Chapter 166:**

Tom closed his eyes and took a deep breath, disgusted with himself. He had been desperate enough to latch onto another wizard after being destroyed by a baby. Pathetic.

"_You-Know-Who told Quirrell to kill Harry, but touching Harry caused him to burn up. Harry grabbed him and eventually he died."_

Humiliating.

"_Tom?"_

"How was You-Know-Who still alive?"

"_Ron said something about Unicorn Blood."_

Unicorn Blood. He'd chosen to use that as a very last resort if his Horcruxes began to fail him. It seemed his true self changed his mind.

He would kill himself if it wouldn't be so counterproductive.


	167. Chapter 167

**Chapter 167:**

"_Certainly a remarkable story."_

"I know, right? Want to hear about the troll?"

"_I'm quite tired actually…"_

"I didn't know that you could sleep."

"_I can't, but I do get mentally and magically exhausted."_

Magically? Well yes, she supposed the writing did take up some magic, but why hadn't he ever said he was tired before? Was he trying to get rid of her? He seemed to realize that's what she was thinking because he wrote:

"_I'd also like to think about what you wrote. It's fascinating and I think it'll give us more to talk about in the future."_


	168. Chapter 168

**A/N: **I accidentally uploaded the same chapter twice...it's fixed now. I was wondering when I'd make that mistake.

* * *

**Chapter 168:**

Ginny spent Tuesday and Wednesday evening talking to Tom about her classes and teachers. On Thursday, he brought up Rubeus.

"_Hagrid isn't a teacher, is he?"_

"No, he's the keeper of keys and grounds or something."

"…_I see."_

"He seems nice. He takes first years on the boats to Hogwarts and lives in a hut near the Forbidden Forrest. Fred and George say he's run them out of there a couple of times."

"_So he likes the outdoors and dangerous animals. Does he keep any at his hut?"_

"There's a big normal dog."

"_Anything else?"_

"I saw a chicken coop."


	169. Chapter 169

**A/N:** Fixed the previous chapter so you may want to go reread it.

* * *

**Chapter 169:**

"Is there anything in the coop?"

"_I'm pretty sure there're chickens. It's a chicken coop after all."_

"It could be an empty chicken coop."

"_Do you like chickens or something?"_

"…I like animals. I'm just interested in what kind are still around Hogwarts. I was never able to buy a pet."

"_That's too bad. I like cats, but I can't afford one. I can go visit Hagrid and see if there's chickens in the coop if you'd like."_

"You'd do that?"

"_Of course."_

"Well, be careful. If Hagrid likes beasts then you don't know what might _really_be in there."


	170. Chapter 170

**Chapter 170:**

Rubeus had always been fond of animals, specifically large dangerous creatures. Tom had seen how he dealt with them and when he realized the potential that Rubeus had, he immediately tried to get him onto his side despite the protests he got from his circle of "friends". To have Rubeus as an ally who was more than willing to control dark creatures was something almost priceless. Unfortunately, he was too close to Dumbledore.

Although he did get the oaf to think he was his friend and as a result, Tom had been the only one Rubeus had told about Aragog.


	171. Chapter 171

**Chapter 171:**

Ginny was about to tell Tom goodbye so that she could go down to Hagrid's hut, but her homework caught her eye.

"I'm sorry Tom, it's getting late and I have a load of homework. Will it be alright with you if I check the chicken coop tomorrow?"

"_What day is tomorrow?"_

"Friday."

"_Tomorrow is excellent."_

"And it's the weekend after that, we can talk more. I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in. Maybe I can trick you into doing my homework for me, that'll be fun." She was older than her after all.

"…_Yes, very fun."_


	172. Chapter 172

**Chapter 172:**

"All you do is write in that book, it's annoying." Becky said, wrinkling her nose at the black diary in Ginny's hand.

Ginny scowled. "It's not doing anything to you."

"It's keeping us awake at night," she said, looking at Elise for support. The other girl just shrank away a little, unwilling to get involved. "You spend hours writing in it at night by candlelight, what're you writing?"

"I don't think it's any of your business."

She sniffed disapprovingly. Ginny gathered all of her assignments and Tom, then went down the stairs to do her homework in the common room.


	173. Chapter 173

**Chapter 173:**

"_I'm going to the chicken coop now."_

He could feel her withdrawing, and as a last minute decision, he entered her mind once again. Tom could feel her being stubborn with his attempts at trying to coax her into submission. He didn't really trust her enough to look through the chicken coop and around the hut thoroughly enough.

_Get up. Keep the diary in your pocket._

_No. I have to check the chicken coop._

He was surprised she was still willing to do that. _That's where we're going now. We'll be checking the chicken coop. Walk outside to Hagrid's hut._


	174. Chapter 174

**Chapter 174:**

It seemed to take forever for Ginny to walk through the castle. She took some of the least traveled corridors and saw only a small amount of other students. There were no problems until she came across a cat.

The cat was hissing at Ginny viciously and bushed up twice its size. It was an ugly, scrawny cat with bulging yellow eyes. The damned feline seemed intent on not letting Ginny get past it.

_Kick it out of the way._

Ginny lunged forward but the cat jumped out of her reach, swinging its claws at her robes before running off.


	175. Chapter 175

**Chapter 175:**

The cat's behavior unnerved him. Tom had read in some books that animals could sense possession, but he had assumed that was false since he had read that only in Muggle books. He quickly pried Ginny's mind for any information on that cat. Nothing came up.

He turned his attention back to what Ginny was seeing. They were outside and already going down the hill to Rubeus's hut.

_Check for any witnesses_.

Ginny walked around the hut slowly, searching for Rubeus or anybody visiting. When the area was decidedly clear, she approached the chicken coop and cracked open the door.


	176. Chapter 176

**Chapter 176:**

Ginny sneered at a rooster which she had cornered after several painful minutes. As soon as she had entered the coop, the chickens treated her as if she was a starving fox. Her robes had a few tears in them, but nothing too noticeable. The rooster was very hard to find amid the chaos of chickens and feathers.

_Kill it._

Ginny hesitated.

_Kill it. Do not use your wand._

The rooster tried to get away but she lunged and grabbed its legs, breaking them. She grabbed on to its neck and squeezed until its frantic struggling slowed to a stop.


	177. Chapter 177

**Chapter 177:**

Fear.

_There is nothing to fear, you did what was necessary._

Regret.

_You still did it, you can't change it._

Ginny's feelings as she exited the coop were clashing painfully against Tom's control. It was frustrating that something so meaningless could be a problem.

When she was outside, he realized she was a mess. Her robes were ruffled and covered with rooster feathers. He instructed her to brush them off, but she froze when a large body trudged out of the Forbidden Forest. Two black beetle eyes in the middle of a hairy face stared at her in surprise.

_Rubeus?_


	178. Chapter 178

**Chapter 178:**

Rubeus was _huge_.

Ginny didn't seem too surprised as she had seen him before, but Tom honestly didn't expect him to be so large.

"What're yeh doin' here?"

Ginny swallowed nervously. "I'm a first year and haven't gotten a chance to explore the grounds so…"

Rubeus's eyes widened when he recognized her. "Yer Ron's sister, aren't yeh?"

She smiled. "Ginny Weasley."

"Thought so. Yer brother comes visitin' here with Harry sometimes." When he saw her blush, he grinned cheekily.

Did he _not_ notice the feathers all over her robes?

_Ginny, you have to leave now. Come up with an excuse._


	179. Chapter 179

**Chapter 179:**

"Has Ron been by?" Ginny asked.

_What are you doing? I said __**leave**__._

"Nah, 'spect he'll be around durin' the weekend." He gestured to the area in front of Ginny. "Did yeh see what I've bin growin'?"

To Tom's surprise, Ginny was standing behind a large pumpkin in Rubeus's vegetable patch and it was blocking his view of her robes. He thought Rubeus would've been expelled and have had his wand snapped but it was obvious he used an Engorgement Charm.

"They look great," Ginny said.

_Get out of there __**now**__._

Ginny excused herself and went back into the castle.


	180. Chapter 180

**Chapter 180:**

Tom hovered in the back of her mind cautiously; concerned about the fact she had quite easily disobeyed him without a single conscious thought of resistance. There was the possibility that asking about Ron had been an excuse which he'd instructed her to come up with, but he highly doubted it.

Ginny entered the castle and went back to the common room casually. Her mind was completely blank and he pulled out when she sat down on her bed and put the diary under a pillow. He wondered if she would remember anything even though they had just barely started.


	181. Chapter 181

**Chapter 181:**

Ginny frowned when she realized she was on her bed doing nothing. She said she would be going to check the chicken coop but she was having a huge déjà vu. Didn't she already check the coop? She hesitantly opened the diary again.

"Tom?"

"_Hello again."_

"Hi. This might seem weird for me to ask but did I already check the chicken coop for you?"

"_You told me about it a moment ago. There were indeed chickens in the coop. Are you feeling alright?"_

Ginny bit her lip, scared. How had she forgotten that? She didn't remember anything at all.


	182. Chapter 182

**Chapter 182:**

"I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there."

"_You don't remember going to the coop? That could be caused by a lot of things. You could have a spell tampering with your memory or perhaps even stress. Go to the Hospital Wing."_

"Stress?"

"_Stress from being away from home, stress from classes, stress from family, stress from perhaps even your romantic dilemma with Harry Potter. There are many causes of stress."_

She sighed uncomfortably. Those were stupid things to stress over but it was incredibly plausible.


	183. Chapter 183

**Chapter 183:**

"I think I'll be fine, Tom."

"_Yes, as soon as you go to the Hospital Wing."_

"No! Stress is a stupid thing to go to the Hospital Wing for. I can take care of myself!"

"_Ginny, now is not the time for you to stand up for yourself, honestly…"_

Ginny glared at the diary, torn between being angry at him for not agreeing with her and being touched that he cared about her. If he kept insisting she go to the Hospital Wing, she would just lie and say she went! After all, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.


	184. Chapter 184

**Chapter 184:**

In the end, Ginny had said she would go to the Hospital Wing, but Tom knew she was lying. It was actually something he hoped she would do, reverse psychology was one of the best ways he had people do what he wanted. He knew it would work with Ginny because of her longing to be better than her brothers. In order to be better, she needed to be stronger. To go to the Hospital Wing for something she thought was stress would seem weak to her. She didn't want to show any weaknesses.

Sort of like himself, he supposed.


	185. Chapter 185

**Chapter 185:**

"_Dear Tom," _suddenly appeared even though he was sure it was the middle of Saturday night.

"A little late, isn't it?"

"_Well you don't sleep, do you?"_

"No, but that doesn't mean I can't ask why you're up so late."

She didn't reply for several minutes. If he couldn't feel her, he would have thought she went back to bed.

"_I don't know why I'm up. It's like there's something's telling me to stay awake."_

Strange. "Have you been sleepwalking lately? Perhaps that's what your mind is afraid of."

"_It hasn't happened in a while. I don't know what's wrong."_


	186. Chapter 186

**Chapter 186:**

"I don't think it's anything to worry about, but I'm curious as to why you decided to write to me about it. I will just keep you from sleeping."

Another pause, she seemed confused. _"I just feel better writing to you. Maybe I was hoping you would understand what was wrong. No one's ever understood me like you, Tom."_

"I'm sorry to say I don't know what's wrong. All I know is that you're awake and writing."

"_What about your so called, 'diary intuition'?"_

"It doesn't extend to physical assessments."

"_I'm awake and bored… can you tell me a story?"_


	187. Chapter 187

**Chapter 187:**

"…_A story?"_

She laid her head on one of her hands. "Yes, a story. Any story. Maybe it'll help me fall asleep. Mum and dad used to read me bedtime stories when I was younger and they weren't busy."

"_Aren't you a little old for stories?"_

"Maybe." She tilted her head a bit. "Come on, Tom, telling me a story won't kill you."

He didn't reply for a long moment. She wondered if he was thinking of a story to tell.

"_I don't know any."_

She scoffed. "How can you not know any?"

"_I've never been too fond of them."_


	188. Chapter 188

**Chapter 188:**

"You have to know one story. It doesn't matter what it's about, just make something up."

"_Coming up with stories is not among my strengths, I'm afraid. Although, if you're willing to read all about__Millington's Vanishing T__heorem of 1926, I wouldn't object to telling you."_

Ginny wrinkled her nose. Why did her diary have to be smart? "I want to sleep, not be bored to death. I have enough to read here."

"_Fine, then I will help you sleep another way."_

She was about to ask how, but it was at that moment her head began to feel fuzzy…


	189. Chapter 189

**Chapter 189:**

He decided to release the basilisk to give her a chance to take in the new scents of the castle. Ginny was already climbing out of bed when he was going over the prefect patrolling times in his mind. When she glanced at the clock, he saw it was eleven at night.

It was late enough that only about a dozen students were in the common room talking quietly to one another. It was less than the first day so he didn't mind it much. The thing he did mind though was that they were all standing by the door.


	190. Chapter 190

**Chapter 190:**

_Are there any other ways out of Gryffindor Tower?_

He already knew the answer, but was still surprised that Ginny's mind switched to Fred and George. Tom sifted through the memories quickly, catching snippets of conversation that mentioned secret passageways in and out of the castle. There wasn't anything specific, but if he could get into the twins' minds then the information would be quite valuable.

Ginny jumped and all of her peers turned their heads when a bang came out of the boy's dorm. Tom immediately took advantage of the distraction it caused and forced her out the door.


	191. Chapter 191

**A/N:** I started a new Tom and Ginny fic. The Boy Through the Window. Check it out.

* * *

**Chapter 191:**

Luckily it was only the Head Boy and Girl who were allowed to patrol so late. The main entrance was too close to a few teacher offices for his comfort, so he decided to take the second entrance. There were no problems going down the corridors to the second-floor girls' lavatory.

At least there wasn't until Ginny stopped in front of the door where a large OUT OF ORDER sign was hanging. For a moment, Tom was confused. They couldn't have discovered the Chamber, could they? His confusion only grew when he heard a few soft sobs coming from inside.


	192. Chapter 192

**Chapter 192:**

_What do you know?_

Ginny blinked, thinking about any answers she could give. It was hard to think when her head felt so clogged. It wasn't completely unpleasant - in fact it was relaxing - it was just hard to find the answers she needed. All she knew about the bathroom was that nobody used it because it was always flooded.

The voice seemed to accept that answer and pushed her gently.

_Proceed with caution._ She pushed open the door and stepped inside, trying not to slip on the wet floor.

"Who are _you_?" a condescending voice asked through sniffles.


	193. Chapter 193

**Chapter 193:**

It was _Myrtle._

The same Myrtle he knew from fifty years ago. That meant it was entirely possible that everybody at Hogwarts knew about the basilisk and the Chamber. Knowing Myrtle, she probably blurted it out. He didn't know, his true self had only placed all of his memories up until the moment she died and a few details of what happened afterwards. If she told, that would explain why Rubeus didn't seem to have been expelled.

"I asked you a question!" Myrtle whined loudly. "Of course it's _alright_ to ignore Moaning Myrtle, who cares about _her_ feelings? She's _dead_!"


	194. Chapter 194

**Chapter 194:**

"My name's Ginny. Ginny Weasley," Ginny replied, smiling.

Myrtle's lip trembled, but she seemed to be calming down. "I'm Myrtle. But what are you doing up late? It's past curfew and you'll get in an awful lot of trouble if somebody catches you here at this hour."

Knowing Myrtle, all you really had to do was say something insulting and she'll run away crying, but Tom wanted more information.

_Students once teased her, sympathize with her._

"My brothers tease me and I'm scared everyone will make fun of my secondhand things. I just wanted to get away from it all."


	195. Chapter 195

**Chapter 195:**

Myrtle seemed to cheer up tremendously at that.

Tom could feel Ginny's embarrassment over admitting her fear and was annoyed that her resistance was even more noticeable now.

"Oh _yes_, I know! It's like they have nothing _better_ to do but tease poor little girls who don't do _anything_ to them!" said Myrtle. "I remember this one time I was studying under a tree and Olive Hornby summoned a bunch of frogs that- that-"

She burst into tears and dived into a toilet, splashing water everywhere, soaking Ginny who shrieked in shock.

_Why do girls have to be so melodramatic?_


	196. Chapter 196

**Chapter 196:**

When Ginny finally settled down, Tom made her go forward to a few sinks. To his pleasure, the same sink was still there. He allowed Ginny to feel the small snake engraving on the side of the tap as he examined it for anything that may have indicated that somebody discovered it. As soon as he confirmed it was safe, he spread out his magic and attempted to take over Ginny's body completely.

He wasn't surprised when he could feel Ginny frantically fighting his control. Eventually it was only Tom alone who stared at the snake engraving.

"**Open,"** he hissed.


	197. Chapter 197

**Chapter 197:**

Tom could still feel Ginny's soft prodding in the back of his mind. There was mostly just fear and confusion, but it was easy to ignore. He examined the pipe closely, scowling at the buildup of slime. This was why he preferred the front entrance; it was just a few dusty stairs. It may take longer, but it was much _cleaner_. Pulling out Ginny's wand, he cast the Impervius Charm on her robes and slid down the pipe.

As soon as he made it down to the stone floor, he ran down the tunnel, heart pounding as his excitement grew.


	198. Chapter 198

**Chapter 198:**

He was panting by the time he entered the humongous chamber and examined his surroundings once again. It was untouched.

Ginny had gone unusually quiet and seemed to be slightly aware of what was going on. Perhaps she was experiencing what he did when he was just hovering in her mind.

He never had human company in the Chamber before…

_Magnificent, isn't it?_ He asked her. _My inheritance, my home. It's truly beautiful. You are very privileged to see this incredible place, even if you won't remember._

To his annoyance, Ginny seemed more terrified than amazed.

They were always scared.


	199. Chapter 199

**Chapter 199:**

Tom admired the place for a moment longer, and then turned to the statue of Salazar Slytherin. Was it wise to release the basilisk so soon? Ginny had been a limited source of information since he couldn't outright ask her about everything without her growing suspicious.

He could hear the basilisk inside the statue. She could probably smell him in the chamber and sensed her freedom was near.

"**Patience, my sweet."** This hiss sounded different coming from Ginny, but it would do. **"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."**

The statue's mouth opened wide and something inside stirred…


	200. Chapter 200

**Chapter 200:**

He closed his eyes – well, Ginny's – and listened to the basilisk slither closer and around him. Eventually he stuck his hand out and stroked her smooth scales.

"**So hungry… for so long…,"** she hissed.

"**You will eat soon." **She jerked under his hand. **"**_**Soon,**_**"** he repeated.

It had been hundreds of years since she had last eaten a full meal. If Myrtle hadn't died so soon and ruined everything, Tom would have allowed the basilisk to eat all of the Mudbloods in the Hospital Wing.

At his command, the basilisk slithered through a thick pipeline and out of the Chamber.

* * *

I really do appreciate reviews, so thank you and I always look forward to them… **xSeverusxCrookshanksx** alone submitted 60% of them.


	201. Chapter 201

**Chapter 201:**

_Leave me alone._

Tom's eyes widened when he realized it was Ginny. She should not be able to do that.

"**How I've starved… Hungry…"**

The basilisk smelled someone. A professor? One of the Heads? He didn't have much time to think about it because Ginny began to fight him again.

"**Kill… come… let me rip you…"**

She was going to attack? He sneered and ran down a tunnel to where the front entrance was to follow her general path and stop her. Tom barely had time to realize what was happening when Ginny took control of her body once again.


	202. Chapter 202

**Chapter 202:**

When he felt the control slip, he immediately forced Ginny to fall (in what he was sure was a hilarious way) so he could regain his bearings. She didn't even get a chance to wonder where she was before he managed to seize her mind.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, surprising him.

"**Come… come to me…" **He could feel the basilisk's excitement. She was going to feed.

_We need to stop this. Let me in. __**Let me in.**_

She paused long enough for him to take control again.

"**Let me rip you… Let me tear you… Let me kill you…"**


	203. Chapter 203

**Chapter 203:**

"**Stop, my sweet,"** he hissed. **"Return to me. You will eat soon, but not today."**

The basilisk let out a frustrated hiss and went through a pipe in the wall Tom was standing next to. He shut his eyes just as she came out the other end, hissing furiously.

As soon as he was sure that she returned to her nest, he closed the entrances and left the Chamber, sprinting back to the common room when he felt Ginny fighting again. He managed to make her enter her dorm quietly and coerced her to sleep.

That had been too close.


	204. Chapter 204

**Chapter 204:**

"And you say you fell out of bed? It looks like you ran straight into a brick wall," Madam Pomfrey said as she spread a thick yellow paste on Ginny's face.

"I think I've been sleepwalking lately," Ginny admitted.

"I have a heavy Sleeping Draught for that. If you think you'll nee-"

"It's really not that bad, it's the first time it's happened to me, really."

She was given a disapproving look. "Alright, but if you need it just let me know," she said. "Now, you can stay here until the bruise disappears. It should be gone within the hour."


	205. Chapter 205

**Chapter 205:**

She was surprised to see all of the girls who shared her dorm were waiting for her outside of the Hospital Wing. They told her they wanted to spend the day with her and get to know her better. Immediately Ginny agreed. She still hadn't made any new friends since she arrived.

Her thoughts suddenly switched to Tom. He would forgive her for not writing to him this morning, wouldn't he? Besides, she preferred to write at night. She wouldn't be disturbed by anybody and she would have a day's worth of things to say to him.

He'd be fine.


	206. Chapter 206

**Chapter 206:**

Tom was not fine.

His world had returned to darkness since his overuse of power in the escapade the night before,

It was difficult to get used to since he'd spent a week with light and he found himself wishing Ginny would write to him soon. The thought that she might've remembered last night and not write to him ever again was almost painful to think about.

The darkness seemed to be suffocating him. Reminding himself that it was not possible for him to die didn't help at all and seemed to only make things feel worse.

_Come back, Ginny._


	207. Chapter 207

**Chapter 207:**

Somebody was poking her.

"Lemme 'lone," she murmured, burying her face in her pillow.

"You're going to miss class!"

With a groan, Ginny rolled on her back to look at Elise who had stopped poking and was now looking at what Ivy and Becky were examining. It seemed to be a book and they were paging through it quickly as if it was blank.

"Wow, Ginny. You have this with you all the time but there isn't a word written in here!"

Ginny gasped and realization and practically flew out of the bed to snatch Tom out of Becky's hand.


	208. Chapter 208

**Chapter 208:**

"Are you mad?" Becky shrieked, backing away from Ginny and examining the scratch the redhead had accidentally given her in her mad dive for Tom. The other girls in the dorm were staring at Ginny with shocked and confused faces.

To Ginny's horror, Ivy had been holding a quill dripping with ink. She glared at them furiously.

"Why would you write in my diary?" she shouted at them.

"It's not our fault it was on the ground! You should take better care of you stuff!" Becky hissed. Ginny watched them reproachfully as they got dressed and left the room fuming.


	209. Chapter 209

**Chapter 209:**

When Ginny was alone in the room, she opened Tom and saw only the date which Ivy had written. It was still on the page and hadn't sunken in yet. She pulled out a quill and dipped it in ink quickly.

"Tom, are you there?"

To her relief, her words and Ivy's sank into the page.

"_Ginny…"_

"Are you ok?"

"_I wasn't abandoned…"_

"Of course you weren't, Tom! I was just so busy yesterday. I'm sorry!"

"_What… Oh, that appeared, I didn't expect…"_

Why was he acting weird?

"Are you ok?"

"_I'm fine. I just need to clear my thoughts."_


	210. Chapter 210

**Chapter 210:**

"_Who was writing in me earlier?"_

How did he know it was somebody else? He said he had his ways but she hadn't really believed it.

"It was some of my dorm mates, they said they found you on the ground but I'm sure you weren't…" She frowned. Where _had _she put him? She hardly remembered the night before. Hadn't she been unable to sleep?

"_I was stolen?"_

"You were… misplaced I think. They found you and thought it would be fine to write in you."

"_They didn't know I belonged to you?"_

"They did but-"

"_How… malicious of them."_


	211. Chapter 211

**Chapter 211:**

"_We hung out for a day. I guess they thought we knew each other well enough."_

It had been painful to have somebody else write to him. He was livid and it took a lot to keep his thoughts from being displayed on the diary. Nobody was allowed to write in his diary except Ginny. It would ruin everything.

"You were making friends…"

"_I was… but I don't think they'll want to be friends anymore. I hurt Becky when I was taking you away from her."_

"She deserved it."

Surprise. _"No, I could have just asked for you back, Tom."_


	212. Chapter 212

**Chapter 212:**

"_These girls spent a day with you and then went through your things as if they had the right. Don't you know what that means?"_

"No…"

"_I suppose I shouldn't expect you to. Although I never thought you were so naive…"_

"Naïve?"

"_Trusting. Innocent."_

"I like to see the good in people, what's wrong with that?"

"_Those girls were using you."_

"Oh come on…"

"_They just wanted to go through your things so they decided to try and befriend you. They thought if they appealed to your better nature you wouldn't think he worst of them."_

"They wouldn't do that."


	213. Chapter 213

**Chapter 213:**

"_Naïve."_

Ginny decided she didn't like that word. It made her seem like a little girl.

"I'm not naïve! We've been in the same dorm for a week so they thought we should get to know each other better."

"_Why would the show an interest in you now, Ginny?"_

"I don't know. Just because they noticed me doesn't mean they're planning something. You're so paranoid."

"_I just don't think you should trust them. You fell asleep with me, yet they "found" me. How would they get a hold of me without purposely going through your sheets?"_

"Tom… Are you jealous?"


	214. Chapter 214

**Chapter 214:**

He had been reconstructing a new room in the diary when she wrote that and he rolled his eyes.

"Of course not. I want you to make friends. I just don't want them to be manipulative shrews." Being manipulative was _his_ job.

Maybe it would be good if she thought he was jealous… Although he didn't like the idea of feeling something as petty as jealousy.

It would probably be wise to begin breaking any of the bonds she had with her brothers. There was no doubt they would notice if something seemed to be wrong with her. Especially Percy.


	215. Chapter 215

**Chapter 215:**

Tom was totally jealous! Ginny almost giggled at the thought. It was only her guilt that stopped her. Tom had only had someone to write to for a few weeks compared to the fifty years he went without any company at all, it made sense that he would want her undivided attention.

She liked writing about her problems, but how long would that last? She was sure Tom was bored with all of her complaints by now. He was a teenage listening to a child rant about her life. It was probably turning his brain into a pile of mush.


	216. Chapter 216

**Chapter 216:**

Ginny looked at the clock and decided she could afford to miss breakfast to talk to Tom. Hell, she could probably bring him to Defense Against the Dark Arts since Lockhart didn't pay any attention to what they did anyway.

"Why are you so judgmental, Tom? You've never met anybody in my dorm personally."

"_You'll see when you're older. Perhaps you're too young to understand human nature."_

She glared. "And I suppose you understand it much better?"

"_You've lived a sheltered life. You don't know true pain or suffering…sorrow or loneliness... the loss of all hope. You don't know anything."_


	217. Chapter 217

**Chapter 217:**

"… _I feel sick."_

Strange. He couldn't feel what she was feeling.

"How sick?"

Something wet dripped onto the page. Water. No, tears again.

"You're crying. Are you in pain?"

She wasn't answering.

"Ginny?"

More tears.

"_It hurts…"_

"_I…"_

"_Can't…"_

"_Stop crying."_

Somebody must have put a spell on her. Probably Becky since Ginny had injured her earlier. It didn't explain why he couldn't feel her anymore though.

In fact, the only feeling he had at the moment was relief. There was nothing else, not even the pang in his chest when he told her she didn't know anyth…

_Oh._


	218. Chapter 218

**Chapter 218:**

Yes, Tom had planned to feed Ginny a bit of his soul as well, but it was supposed to be through his possession, not admissions. It was too personal for his taste.

Ginny wasn't writing back and seemed to have closed the diary so she could finish crying. She wasn't very strong emotionally if what he had once felt made her burst into tears. Then again, he might have just been emotionally handicapped; he never seemed to feel different emotions to the same intensity of others. What may not have felt like a big deal to him apparently crippled others.


	219. Chapter 219

**Chapter 219:**

"Bloody hell, I've gone mad," Ginny gasped when she seemed to have finally stopped crying. Her face which had been red was fading back to its original color and she managed to wipe away any trace of tears. She had no idea what was wrong with her, but thankfully the feeling seemed to have passed.

Noticing it was time for her first class, Ginny stuffed Tom in her bag and sprinted to Professor Lockhart's classroom. Becky, Bertha, Ivy, and Elise were glaring at her furiously.

_Maybe Tom was right. It's like they don't see anything wrong with what they did._


	220. Chapter 220

**Chapter 220:**

"Dear Tom, I'm feeling much better now. I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me."

"_Well at least you're fine now. Don't you have class now? It's Monday, isn't it?"_

"Yes, but I have Defense in the morning. Professor Lockhart doesn't teach us anything so I'm not really hurting myself."

"_You're not exactly helping yourself either…"_

"Where am I supposed to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts? It's not like I don't want to learn. Harry knows a lot about defeating Dark things… I was kind of hoping to-"

"_Become as good as him so he would notice you."_


	221. Chapter 221

**Chapter 221:**

Embarrassment.

"_I'm really predictable, aren't I?"_

"Not in a displeasing way."

"_But Harry aside, I think it would be fun to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts. Not only are you defending yourself, but you use a lot of different spells on anything. People, creatures, objects. I think I would be really good at it."_

"Do you really?" She wasn't doing a good job at defending herself at the moment.

"_Yes… hold on, are you laughing at me?"_

"No." He really didn't like the idea of her channeling anything that he might be feeling. Hopefully it would only be temporary.


	222. Chapter 222

**Chapter 222:**

"_You should not waste your time… I have an idea that may actually make this class more educational for you."_

As wonderful as that was, she had a feeling it meant she would have to work. "That sucks…"

"_Do you want to learn Defense or not?"_

"You'll teach me? But you never finished Hogwarts!"

"_I'm more than capable of teaching, Ginny. I was top of every class and they were not very challenging. If there was one thing Hogwarts lacked, it was a good challenge._

"You really think I can learn?"

"_Of course. Now, would you like to begin?"_

"Absolutely!"


	223. Chapter 223

**Chapter 223:**

Tom was in a relatively good mood which was his excuse for offering Ginny lessons. Besides, he knew his magic well and he did take a _bit_ of pleasure in teaching. He'd asked about what textbooks she had; most of them were just silly book title alliterations full of useless stories without lessons. He made her check out different books and-

"_You're giving me homework?"_

"It will enforce what you've learned."

"_But… come on, you're a friend, not a teacher."_

"Don't even try, Ginny. Just do your homework and write back to me when you're done or have any questions."


	224. Chapter 224

**Chapter 224:**

Tom seemed to really like teaching. He did say that he had nothing to do in the diary, but now he could plan what he was going to teach her. It gave him something to do.

Ginny knew that in the beginning it was only darkness for him, then he told her about how he was able to make a room for himself. Tom had also said he thought a lot about the past.

Memories and being somewhere without actually being there... Ginny was sure she had heard of something similar before. She would have to look into it later.


	225. Chapter 225

**Chapter 225:**

"Dear Tom, I've been really tired lately," she wrote several days later. "My head feels like it weighs a ton and I'm not getting as much schoolwork done." She yawned and laid her head down on a pillow, keeping her eyes open only to read Tom's reply.

"_Are you ill? The weather around this time does tend to get people sick."_

"I just hope Percy doesn't notice. I've been too tired to write to you lately, and I feel terrible about it."

"_Don't worry about me, Ginny. I'll be fine. Just please keep me with you and get some rest."_


	226. Chapter 226

**Chapter 226:**

Ginny's exhaustion had to do with Tom's constant visits into her mind. After going through a few of his own memories, he would go to Ginny's and inspect them. He was also given a chance to look through her eyes and see what she was doing at the moment. She was subconsciously resisting him and that was tiring her own body out.

That would only make it much easier for him to control her in the future. Tom was also testing her relationship with everyone. Who would notice when she got ill? He'd find out and get rid of them.


	227. Chapter 227

**Chapter 227:**

"Ginny, are you feeling well?" Percy asked, frowning and looking over a copy of a potion making book. "Ginny?"

Drowsily, Ginny sat up in the library. She had folded her hands on top of Tom and laid her head down to close her eyes for a minute. Luckily Tom didn't ask for much from her, he even offered his diary to lie on. It was soft because of the old pages and curiously warm so it was an excellent substitute for her pillow.

"You've been looking off-color for a while," Percy said. "If you're sick go to-"

"I'm fine, Percy."


	228. Chapter 228

**Chapter 228:**

Percy had almost followed her out of the library to make sure she went to the Hospital Wing or her dorm for bed, but she just barely managed to talk him out of it. She only made it halfway up the stairs to the fifth floor when she sat down on the steps to rest.

"Why're you sitting there like an idiot?" a boy asked, coming up behind her.

She turned to him and realized it was the Slytherin first year, Hamilton Harper. He almost looked concerned.

Her mouth seemed to move on its own when she said, "Sod off."


	229. Chapter 229

**Chapter 229:**

Ginny slapped a hand over her mouth, horrified that she would tell someone she hadn't even met formally something so rude. It was too late though. Harper sneered at her and stomped past, making sure to kick her bag down the steps and muttering "filthy blood traitor."

"Where did _that_ come from?" she asked herself. She would never say that to anyone except her brothers. It hadn't even felt like she was the one talking.

She reluctantly heaved herself to her feet and went down the steps to retrieve her bag and sat in an alcove to write to Tom.


	230. Chapter 230

**Chapter 230:**

"_I'm resting on the floor," _Ginny wrote.

Her weakness was beginning to get annoying and it was too easy to accidentally control her a little. Tom had wanted that first year to go away, and the words "sod off" flew out of Ginny's mouth as a result. Not his word choice, but she only said it because of him.

Perhaps he should relax his hold on her and give her a chance to regain her strength.

"The floor? That's not very sanitary."

"_I feel like I'm heating up and the stone is very cool. I'll only rest for a minute._


	231. Chapter 231

**Chapter 231:**

"Would you mind writing to me while you get your much needed rest?"

"_Of course not, Tom."_

"How are your brothers?"

"_Fred and George have detention with Filch tomorrow."_

"Filch?"

"_I haven't mentioned him? I thought I told you about everyone… He's the Caretaker. Ron says he has this cat that reports bad behavior to him."_

"A cat?" Could it be the same cat they had run into once before?

"_Her name is Mrs. Norris. I don't know why everybody wants to kick her. Supposedly she's very unpleasant and follows suspicious people around."_

Just another nuisance to get rid of.


	232. Chapter 232

**Chapter 232:**

"When is their detention?"

"_Tomorrow."_

"Yes, but what _time_ Ginny?"

"_After supper I think. They'll probably have to help Filch clean something. Ron had to clean the Trophy Room. He said it was murder since he threw up slugs all over one of the trophies."_

"Slugs?"

"_It was two or three weeks ago. Stupid Malfoy called Hermione a really bad word for Muggle-born."_

"Hermione is Muggle-born."

"_Yeah. Anyway, Ron tried to curse him but it backfired because his wand was broken and he doesn't want to write to mum because he doesn't want another Howler."_

"And what of dear Harry?"


	233. Chapter 233

**Chapter 233:**

"What about him?" Ginny asked.

"_You haven't spoken of him in ages."_

"Because I haven't written to you much." Something she still felt terrible about actually.

"_You're writing now, that's all I need."_

"You're too forgiving."

"_You're my friend."_

"I watch Harry practice Quidditch as often as I can. He's the best Seeker ever. Maybe I can join the team next year. I love flying."

"_I was partial to flying as well… Although I didn't have a broom."_

"Maybe Harry will notice me next year."

"_I'm confident he will notice you _this_ year."_

"You really think so?"

"_I guarantee it."_


	234. Chapter 234

**Chapter 234:**

Tom wondered if he was subconsciously forcing Ginny to write. He could feel her exhaustion but she just didn't stop.

"Do you still feel sick and tired, Ginny?"

"_Very."_

"Go rest or go to the Hospital Wing."

"_I'm fine, don't sound like Percy, it's annoying."_

"Please Ginny, just go sleep. For me."

Irritation. Consideration. Surrender. _"Alright. I'll go sleep. Goodnight Tom."_

Trusting she would make it to her dorm alright by herself, Tom pulled out of her mind to give her rest. Tomorrow afternoon he would take over again and search for the twins when they were alone before detention.


	235. Chapter 235

**Chapter 235:**

"I'm sure Filchie won't mind if we're a tad bit late," George said to Fred as they walked in the general direction of Filch's office.

"We could always make it up in our next detention," Fred agreed.

George opened his mouth to say something else but froze as a jet of light was shot at his chest. His eyes rolled and he fell over, leaving Fred standing and gaping in shock. He quickly got a hold over himself and pulled out his wand, looking around quickly for the culprit.

He didn't even see Ginny pointing her wand at him.

"_Imperio_."


	236. Chapter 236

**Chapter 236:**

Tom sent the twin he Imperiused away to guard the corridor and warn him of any visitors.

"_Ennervate_," he whispered to the other. Before the twin could get fully conscious he said, "_Confundo_."

He forced the twin to look at him searched his mind for any information about the castle he needed. It was surprising that Tom only seemed to know a fraction of what the boy knew about the different passages and shortcuts in Hogwarts. He was about to search for the source of their information, but a warning bang from the other twin made him decide against it.


	237. Chapter 237

**Chapter 237:**

Fred blinked hard. George leaned against the wall as a wave of dizziness went over him. It was all over a second later and they were both surprised to see Ginny standing in front of them.

"Hey, Ginny," George greeted, managing a half smile. "What are you doing here?"

Ginny smiled back at them. "I'm looking for Percy. He disappeared during dinner. Do you know where he went? It's awfully important."

"No idea," Fred replied, walking away. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a detention to be getting to."

George followed after him, a bit wobbly on his feet.


	238. Chapter 238

**Chapter 238:**

Deciding he probably wouldn't find Percy without any leads, Tom sent Ginny back into her dorm and had her lay down and open the diary in front of her.

"…_Sorry, Tom, I was a bit out of it. What did you say?"_

He smirked. She was picking up the conversation right where they left off.

"You said Percy disappeared during dinner. I was asking where you thought he went."

"_He's been doing it a lot actually. I haven't a clue."_

"Interesting. And you say he goes off alone?"

"_Always."_

"How would you like to do a bit of investigating, Ginny?"


	239. Chapter 239

**Chapter 239:**

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Percy, her lips formed in a pout. It was the middle of October and she simply could not figure out where Percy was going. It didn't help that for the last few weeks her brain felt like mush and she seemed to always be exhausted. She was barely getting any schoolwork finished.

"_There is no pattern, so what he's doing is something for himself. Most likely not school related in any way."_

Ginny nibbled at the end of her quill. "He's careful about not being followed."

"_We'll see exactly how careful he is this afternoon."_


	240. Chapter 240

**Chapter 240:**

"What are you up to, Ginny?" Colin asked, sitting next to her on a red couch in the common room.

Ginny didn't bother to look at him from her conversation with Tom. "What do you mean?"

"I was just asking, we only ever talk in Charms."

She looked at him and jumped a bit in surprise. Steam was coming out of his ears. He blushed when he saw the expression on her face. "I took a Pepperup potion from Madam Pomfrey," he explained. She giggled and he looked at his shoes. "So what are you doing?"

"Planning to stalk Percy."


	241. Chapter 241

**Chapter 241:**

"Isn't he your brother?" Colin asked, bewildered.

"Yes, but he's up to something and I want to know what he is. Merlin knows he needs to get in trouble for something. All he does is lecture."

Now he looked amused. "Good luck with that. Have you seen Harry around?"

"Maybe you shouldn't bother him too much. I don't think he likes it." It was why she never spoke a word in front of him.

He grimaced. "I know, but it's just all so cool, I can't help it. I just want him to like me."

_You and me both, Colin._


	242. Chapter 242

**Chapter 242:**

"Instead of tailing Harry, how about you help me stalk Percy? I could use another set of eyes," Ginny said. "It'll be fun."

Colin beamed. "I can take pictures with my camera! We'll be just like detectives."

She frowned curiously. "What are detectives?"

"They investigate things."

"Great!" Now she would have company. Colin's camera would be very useful too so they could prove it if Percy was doing something bad. It wasn't like cameras weren't allowed so Percy wouldn't be able to confiscate it if they were caught. This would work out perfectly. Tom would be so pleased with her.


	243. Chapter 243

**Chapter 243:**

Tom was fuming silently in the back of Ginny's mind. The foolish girl had brought company with her, the stupid Mudblood Creevey. The only thing that calmed him was that the boy would be out of his way very soon.

His original plan was to get Percy very angry with Ginny or reproachful enough to keep his distance. He would use the Imperius Curse if necessary. The "investigation" was to coax Ginny's subconscious into doing what he wanted. He'd gotten the idea from the time she was still adamant about going to the chicken coop even after he possessed her.


	244. Chapter 244

**Chapter 244:**

Puffs of smoke came out of Colin's ears every few seconds. It would be hilarious if it wasn't possible that it could give away their position to Percy. Her head felt heavy, but it wasn't uncomfortable or distracting.

"You look a little pale, Ginny."

"I feel fine though."

"Are you sure?" Colin asked.

She nodded. Tom felt a little warm against her side for some reason. Worried, she pulled him, a bottle of ink, and a quill out of her pocket. Colin was just about to ask what she was doing when the ink fell and shattered on the floor.


	245. Chapter 245

**Chapter 245:**

"_Dear Tom, I got detention with Filch."_

He knew, he had been there.

"You weren't out after hours, why on earth were you in trouble?"

"_I hope this doesn't seem too weird, but when you were in my pocket you started feeling a little warm. I was going to write to you and I dropped my ink bottle and spilled it everywhere. Mrs. Norris caught us and Filch appeared a second later. It was creepy."_

"He must know his way around the castle very well."

"_That wasn't the creepy part though. It was that Mrs. Norris kept hissing at me."_


	246. Chapter 246

**Chapter 246:**

"Ginny," called a voice. Ginny's head turned to look at Percy. With a full common room, there was no point in acting on his presence so Tom just watched silently. "Are you ok? You're still pale. You haven't been yourself and I'm-"

"I'm fine, Percy," Ginny said, waving him away dismissingly. She really wanted to go back to her conversation with Tom.

"Are you sure? Even if you think it's nothing, you should go to Madam Pomfrey for some Pepperup potion."

Ginny grimaced at the thought of steam coming out of her ears like Colin. That would be so embarrassing.


	247. Chapter 247

**Chapter 247:**

"I don't _want_ that stupid potion!" she snapped.

Percy narrowed his eyes and stood straighter, towering over her. She could see Harry, Ron, and Hermione looking over at them curiously from their seats by the fire.

"Ginny, you're going to Madam Pomfrey right _now_.'

"No I'm not! You can't tell me what to do, Percy!" Now it sounded like she was just whining. Percy was going to win the stupid argument.

"I'll write to our mother if you keep yelling at me, Ginny. Do you really want her to come down to the castle and make you take it herself?"


	248. Chapter 248

**Chapter 248:**

"_Dear Tom, I HATE PERCY."_

He hated that boy too at the moment. The Pepperup potion made Ginny alert and strengthened her mind. He was back in his diary again and it was preventing him from possessing her. Thankfully the potion's effects on the mind were only temporarily.

"What happened?"

"_He made me take a stupid potion that makes steam come out of my ears. My hair is getting bushy and I look ridiculous. Fred and George were laughing about it. I HATE THEM TOO. They've been avoiding me lately and now they're only paying attention to me to laugh."_


	249. Chapter 249

**Chapter 249:**

"I hate Ron especially! He said my head looks like it's on fire RIGHT IN FRONT OF HARRY. I saw them laughing earlier. I bet they were laughing at me."

"_Harry wouldn't laugh at you."_

"You're just a stupid book! You don't know anything."

It took her less than a second to regret saying that.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, Tom. That was a stupid thing to say."

"…_It's fine."_

"I'm sorry."

"_I said it's fine."_

It wasn't. She knew it wasn't! He was just too forgiving. It was unfair. She had to get him out of the diary.


	250. Chapter 250

**Chapter 250:**

He couldn't deny he was in an extremely bitter mood after Ginny said _that_.

"_I wish you were here though. As a person in a real body. Not a diary."_

He didn't respond, but Ginny was obviously waiting for him to.

"Perhaps we can change that one day, but not today."

"_Really Tom? How? I thought you said you couldn't… or wouldn't. You never said- Is there a way?"_

"I think there is."

"_I can take you to Dumbledore. He might know. He's the best wizard out there!"_

"Nobody will understand my unique situation, Ginny. All I need is you."


	251. Chapter 251

**A/N: **Please login if you have a question so I can answer you in PM. If I listed my review replies here they would be longer than the chapter itself.

* * *

**Chapter 251:**

"I don't know what I want anymore. I mean, I don't like to be ignored by my brothers, but I don't want them telling me what to do and laughing at what happens to me either."

"_They're ignoring you?"_

"Sort of. Fred and George usually do. They would mess around with me, but now it seems that they go the opposite direction when they see me. Ron's already busy with Harry and Hermione… Percy pays attention, but he does it so much that it's annoying. I want to give them all a good kick, actually."

"_Do it."_

"What?"

"_Hurt them."_


	252. Chapter 252

**A/N: **Started a new fanfic called Through Time and Magic. A Tom-centric fic.

* * *

**Chapter 252:**

"_Are you mad? I can't do… that's not…"_

"Are you afraid? I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave."

"_Now really. I'd get expelled for the things I want to do to them sometimes"_

"Only if you get caught… I was just suggesting you get them back for what they've done. When I think about it… I get furious."

"_I can't hurt my family, it would be wrong. Just wrong."_

"Why?"

"_Why what?"_

"Why is it wrong to hurt family? If they hurt you first, it only makes sense to get your revenge. It's called _justice_."

"_Tom, you're scaring me."_


	253. Chapter 253

**Chapter 253:**

It was so creepy. He'd said a few mean things before, but this was different. It wasn't mean. It was… it was like he didn't care about what happened to others. It didn't make sense since he seemed to care about _her._

"You can't just do that to family intentionally. I know you don't remember them, but how do you think you'd feel if you hurt your parents?"

"_My parents are dead."_

"I'm… I'm sorry Tom."

"_I'm not."_

"Tom!"

That old feeling had returned again, the one that told her to put the diary away forever. To stop writing now.


	254. Chapter 254

**Chapter 254:**

Ginny was about to guiltily close the diary and put it away for the day, when she remembered the second day she had ever written to him. The time had been when she had angrily written about her mum. Tom had acted strange then too.

She thought maybe he had absorbed her anger when she wrote about it. Perhaps the same thing happened now which was why he wanted to hurt her brothers like she had before she started writing to him. Maybe he didn't really want to hurt anyone and it was just herself being reflected off of him.


	255. Chapter 255

**Chapter 255:**

_What the hell,_ Tom thought when he felt Ginny's genuine fear come through the connection. She had good reason to be scared now, but why had he just suggested such violence to her? It was much too soon to show any of _that_ side to her. Perhaps he got too caught up in her emotions?

As much as he didn't like it, it was his only reasonable explanation. He would have to be much more careful in the future and filter through his and Ginny's inner thoughts more carefully. For now, though, he had to salvage this particularly difficult situation.


	256. Chapter 256

**Chapter 256:**

"_I'm sorry, Ginny. Those weren't exactly good things to say."_

What if he really felt those things and just hid it well? What if he was a terrible person?

Then again, it wasn't like she could do anything about it.

"You don't have to be sorry."

Almost a full minute passed before he wrote again.

"_What?"_

"Don't be sorry. I mean, I may not like what you say, but I'm sure you have good reason to say what you do. And you always listen to me so it wouldn't be fair if I didn't let you say what you want."


	257. Chapter 257

**Chapter 257:**

"_Ginny…"_

"I mean it, I really don't like what you said, but you're there for me, Tom, and I'm grateful for it. You're my only friend…"

"_You still haven't made any friends? What about Colin? Isn't he a friend?"_

"I guess so… But I like you a better."

"_I'm flattered."_

Neither of them wrote anything for a few minutes.

"_You took a Pepperup potion, right?"_

"Yeah. Why?"

"_Just… Hold your wand vertically next to your ear and say _Absorcalor, _then do the same to the other. It should make the steam less noticeable."_

A bit surprised, she smiled. "Thank you."


	258. Chapter 258

**A/N:** When I saw this was the next chapter to upload I shouted: "FINALLY"

* * *

**Chapter 258:**

"_Dear Tom, Happy Halloween!"_

"Finally. I've always been fond of this holiday."

"_Really? It's fun, but it can be a little scary. Sort of like you, actually…"_

He scowled and ignored that. "Strange things happen on Halloween. It's interesting."

"_Halloween was interesting last year. That's when the troll attacked."_

"Yes, you've mentioned that… And Harry killed it?"

"_Ron knocked it out, but only after Harry weakened it. I never told you the full story, did I? On the-"_

Another story describing the triumphs of Harry Potter? He didn't think so. "I don't want to hear it. Trolls make me squeamish."


	259. Chapter 259

**Chapter 259:**

"_I'll be at the feast in a little while. I was in the Great Hall earlier, it's spectacular."_

"It always is. Absolutely everybody will be there."

"_Harry won't be."_

"Is that so?"

"_He'll be at a Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party. Ron and Hermione are going with him."_

He snorted. "Those are dreadfully boring. Unless he has fun starving and listening to ghosts tell the very _exciting_ tales of how they died, of course."

"_Poor Harry! He's only going because Nick asked him to. Maybe I can give him something to eat before he goes."_

"Believe me, he'll appreciate that."


	260. Chapter 260

**Chapter 260:**

"_The feast is starting! I'll be going to gather some food for him now."_

"You do that…"

Without a second thought, he went into Ginny's mind once again. Tonight was the night he would strike fear into the Mudbloods. Myrtle wouldn't be at her toilet and all the students and staff would be at the feast. With all the activity, nobody would notice Ginny was gone.

Strange things did tend to happen on Halloween…

_We'll be going to the Chamber again. Do behave yourself this time._

Obediently, Ginny walked out of the common room and to the second floor bathroom.


	261. Chapter 261

**Chapter 261:**

"**Peace, my pet…"** Tom hissed, stroking the basilisk as he cut into it with Ginny's wand. Blood dripped down her scales and pooled into the diary which was absorbing it like a sponge.

Although the basilisk didn't feel a thing, she didn't like being still when she had a perfect opportunity to leave her nest and run free through the castle.

When he was sure that the diary had enough, he healed the basilisk's wound. Immediately, she shot down a pipe and disappeared from his view. Tom left the Chamber and outside of the bathroom to a very blank wall.


	262. Chapter 262

**Chapter 262:**

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Tom smirked at his handiwork written in the basilisk's blood from the diary. It'd be impossible to remove.

He jumped in surprise when a shrieking white figure flew past him and into the girls' lavatory. Water flooded out from under the door and into the corridor.

_Myrtle…_

He sneered at the blood which had dripped onto Ginny's robes when he'd jumped, no way to get rid of that. He was about to go back to the common room but stopped at the sound of a cat's ferocious hissing.


	263. Chapter 263

**Chapter 263:**

The basilisk made short work of the cat.

"**Dinner,"** Tom hissed, wondering why the basilisk wasn't devouring it.

"**I want blood. Give me **_**blood**_**."**

He frowned. **"The cat. You may eat the cat."**

"**No… I want to **_**kill**_**."**

She slithered away to a few pipes below the castle, leaving Tom alone to examine Mrs. Norris. She was stiff as a board. One would assume she had been dead for a while, but he knew better. The cat had merely been Petrified.

_How?_

Her fur was wet from the water on the ground. She must have only seen the basilisk's reflection.


	264. Chapter 264

**Chapter 264:**

"…**rip… tear… kill… soo hungry… for so long…"** She was still starving. There had to be _one_ Mudblood out there for her to devour. The feast was almost over.

"**Search… kill… time to kill," **he hissed back softly, raising Mrs. Norris by the tail and hanging her on the torch bracket where she was nice and visible. He was eerily reminded of Billy Stubb's rabbit.

He could hear the basilisk drawing closer and closer to him, probably hoping for directions he could not give. He was surprised when she abruptly stopped before reaching him.

"…**I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!"**


	265. Chapter 265

**Chapter 265:**

"It's going to kill someone!"

That shout made him freeze. Not only was someone coming, someone in the castle was able to hear the basilisk as well. But in order to hear it they would have to understand Parseltongue.

_Not possible…_

The voice seemed to have awakened Ginny as well. She was just beginning to weakly fight for control over her body. No matter, she would have her body back soon. Quickly and silently as he could, he went back into the girls' bathroom (past Myrtle who was too busy trying to kill herself to notice) and into the Chamber.


	266. Chapter 266

**Chapter 266:**

Ginny opened her eyes slowly, squinting when the sun hit her through the window. It was way too early to be awake, so what happened?

"I've never even heard of the Chamber of Secrets! How am I supposed to know what it is?"

"You're an heiress!"

"Yeah, but not an _heir_!"

"What's going on?" Ginny asked, scowling.

Elise looked over at her, terrified. "We're talking about the Chamber! Nobody knows what the Chamber is."

"What Chamber?"

"Oh, but weren't you _there_?" Ivy cried dramatically. "Mrs. Norris was Petrified and hung on a torch with a creepy message next to her!"


	267. Chapter 267

**Chapter 267:**

Elise and Ivy were giving her the whole story when Ginny realized she was pretty wrapped up in her blankets. She was about to unravel herself when she noticed she was still in her robes which were covered with something dry but sticky.

_What the…?_

"It said, "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware" in dark red paint," Elise finished.

"V-very creepy," Ginny squeaked, wrapping the blankets tighter around herself.

"Let's go to breakfast," Ivy said. "Becky is waiting."

Ginny watched them leave and then looked down at the dark red paint coating her robes.


	268. Chapter 268

**A/N:** Fun fact, 2nd and 3rd paragraph are on the cover of this fic.

**Chapter 268:**

Shoving the robes under her bed, Ginny was horrified to see that her sheets had a bit of red paint on them as well. She frantically flipped them over, knocking Tom on the floor in the process. She grabbed him and sat on the bed, shaking as she got out a quill.

"Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front. Help me! I don't know what to do!"

"_Help…? I don't understand, Ginny. How was the cat attacked?"_

"Petrified with Dark Magic!"


	269. Chapter 269

**Chapter 269:**

"_Dark Magic… Petrification can only be accomplished by a powerful wizard."_

She swallowed. "Really?"

"_Or a Dark Creature, of course. Now why were you asking me for help and what was that about paint down your front?"_

"Nothing… It's not important. I'll just get them washed."

"_It seemed rather important at the time. Tell me."_

Could she? It wasn't like he could tell anybody. Maybe he'd make her feel better…

She quickly told him about the message. "It was written in red paint. My robes are covered with red paint."

"_I see."_

"Please tell me I'm not jumping to conclusions!"


	270. Chapter 270

**Chapter 270:**

"_Burn them."_

She stared at the page, confused. "What?"

"_Your robes. Burn them."_

"But I don't have that many robes! I can't just burn those. And what about my sheets? They have a bit of paint on them too. Can't I just wash them?"

"_No, Ginny. The house elves do the washing. They will report what they find, it isn't safe."_

"Safe? Oh Tom, you think I did it, don't you? What am I-"

"_Of course you didn't do it. That's ridiculous. But you can't be suspected. We'll sort this out later, but you must do as I say."_

"Alright…"


	271. Chapter 271

**Chapter 271:**

"_You will say the incantation, _Incendio_, as you wave your wand like so…"_

A small drawing that looked a bit like a flame appeared.

"_When you are sure they are burned, you will douse the fire with water from you wand. You will say _Aguamenti._"_

That was an advanced spell! "No, Tom. I can't do this! I really can't! I'll mess up and they'll question me even more!"

"_Just do it!"_

"No."

"_Do it you- Alright. Fine. Turn them in and see what happens."_

"Tom, I can't! Please, I don't want to burn them. There has to be something else!"


	272. Chapter 272

**Chapter 272:**

"_Do as I say, Ginny."_

Half of her wanted to go tell somebody about the robes, the other half wanted to get rid of the evidence. What if she was the one who Petrified Mrs. Norris? That would be terrible.

"_You asked for my help and I'm giving it. I swear that nothing bad will happen when you cast the spell."_

Shakily, Ginny lifted her wand up and pointed it at the robes Tom had her fold onto the sheets. She waved her wand and said, "_Incendio_", wincing when the robes burst into flame, eventually taking the sheets with it.


	273. Chapter 273

**Chapter 273:**

"_Aguamenti!_" she cried when the robes seemed to have burned completely. To her horror, nothing happened. "_Aguamenti! AGUAMENTI!_"

The fogginess in her head returned. Her grip tightened on her wand and she flicked it hard. Before her brain could catch up with her mouth, she found herself saying "_Aguamenti_." Clear water shot out of her wand and doused all the flames leaving a pile of ashes. With another strong flick of her wand, they and any evidence of a fire vanished.

The fog cleared from her mind and she gasped. For just a moment she felt powerful.

That scared her.


	274. Chapter 274

**Chapter 274:**

Tom knew that she noticed what had happened to her. It had been a huge risk and he still wasn't completely sure why he helped her with the spell. Honestly, nobody would have questioned it if she set the whole room on fire since first years did it all the time. He supposed it was because he could feel her panic as if it were his own again.

He would have to convince her of her innocence.

"_I did it…"_ she wrote shakily, obviously confused and scared. _"I need new sheets though."_

"The house elves will take care of it."


	275. Chapter 275

**Chapter 275:**

"_Tom, why don't I remember last night? Why was I covered with paint?"_

"Sleepwalking. It has happened before."

"_It was Halloween night! I was going to get food for Harry, wasn't I? I don't remember the Feast at all. I can ask someone if I was there. Then I'll know for sure."_

"Know what?"

"_If I… If it was me who Petrified Mrs. Norris."_

"I wouldn't ask."

"_But what if I was there?"_

"What if you weren't?"

"_Oh Tom…"_

"If you ask and you weren't there, other people will begin to wonder where you were. You shouldn't attract any attention."


	276. Chapter 276

**Chapter 276:**

He could feel the panic and fear again, gnawing on his mind. He sighed.

"Petrification is magic far beyond that of a first year."

"_But if I was sleepwalking…"_

"You don't get any more intelligent when you're sleepwalking. It's quite the opposite really."

"_I'm scared."_

"Yes, dear, I know…"

"_I want to tell someone. Fred, George, maybe Ron. I want my mum."_

Still? How annoying that she still had a connection with _them._ They didn't even pay attention to her. She had to depend on _him. _"You have me. I'm sorry I cannot provide the same reassurances as your family."


	277. Chapter 277

**Chapter 277:**

"I'm sorry. It's just… family is different from friends. I know you probably didn't like your family… but I do love mine. I'd feel better with them."

"_I understand."_

Her stomach growled and she winced. "I think I'll go eat breakfast… What if somebody notices I wasn't at the feast?"

"_You felt ill and left early to sleep. Don't worry Ginny. There is no way you could have done it."_

"I really hope you're right, Tom. I'll talk to you later…"

Ginny closed the diary and put it away. The red paint, the memory loss. What if Tom was wrong?


	278. Chapter 278

**Chapter 278:**

"Ginny! Ginny, did you see?" Colin shouted, practically bouncing up and down in his seat at the breakfast table.

"I don't want to talk about it, Colin," said Ginny. She took a seat a few spaces away from him but he scooted closer to her anyway.

"But Harry was there!"

She blanched and turned around. "W-What?"

"Harry was caught at the scene before everyone else. How could you not know? Ron and Hermione were there too! Eric Welsh said they might get expelled."

"Oh no… no, no, no!" she gasped.

Colin's eyes widened. "I forgot Ron was your brother… sorry…"


	279. Chapter 279

**Chapter 279:**

"_Dear Tom, Harry, Ron, and Hermione might really get expelled this time. No, a teacher didn't tell me, but they were right where Mrs. Norris was found. All by themselves."_

"Oh no…"

"_They didn't do it though… I know they didn't."_

This was better than he could have hoped. "Then why were they there?"

"_Why did I have paint on me with no memory? They're only second years. You said it had to be a powerful wizard."_

"Isn't dear Harry special? Powerful?"

"_But not evil!"_

"Dark Magic is not a mark of evil, Ginny. It is a mark of power."


	280. Chapter 280

**Chapter 280:**

"_No, it wouldn't be called Dark if it was."_

"It is Dark only because it usually requires a large sacrifice."

"_That's bad, though!"_

"So sacrificing something is bad? Are you saying we should be selfish?"

"_Wait, I'm confused. What kind of sacrifice… Tom, I don't understand this at all."_

"No, I suppose you wouldn't… But no matter. So if Harry wasn't the one who Petrified the cat, why was he there?"

"_They were coming back from the deathday party."_

"Ah, so the ghosts can vouch for him."

"_Vouch?"_

"Provide evidence that it wasn't him."

"_Oh, you're right! What a relief."_


	281. Chapter 281

**Chapter 281:**

"Dear Tom, I went by the wall today. The wall with the message. It looked familiar… and it looked like blood. What if someone else is expelled for what happened?"

"_Someone else?"_

"You know I had the… paint on my robes… the memory…"

"_Don't start blaming yourself again, it wasn't you. We've discussed this."_

"But Tom, just say-"

"_No."_

Ginny scowled, feeling her face heating up. Tom wasn't listening to her. He just gave her a cheap answer and left it at that. Even Tom wouldn't listen now. She sniffled and cursed softly when a tear fell on the diary.


	282. Chapter 282

**Chapter 282:**

Tears again. He could feel her distress and frustration.

"Why on earth are you crying?"

"_I'm not. It was water."_

He frowned at her lie. "It was tears. I know the difference."

"_You made a mistake. Anyway, I've got this Astronomy essay to work on. How many moons does Ju-"_

Two more tears fell on the page. "Ginny-"

"_-piter have? I think I got it mixed up-"_

He sneered. "Tell me why you're crying."

"_It's not important anymore. I'm just being stupid."_

In more ways than one. Was she crying over the message? He'd hoped she would get over that.


	283. Chapter 283

**Chapter 283:**

"It's really bothering you, isn't it? You still think it was you who Petrified the cat and wrote the message on the wall."

"_Yes… And you won't listen."_

"I listen. You just don't accept my answers."

"_Those answers aren't good enough! I noticed some students are avoiding Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They're scared of them now. They're being blamed for what I probably did! I've been so upset, Ron actually thinks I'm sad about Mrs. Norris because I like cats. Then he called the person a maniac and hoped that he'd Petrify Filch next!"_

"What a violent thing to say."


	284. Chapter 284

**Chapter 284:**

"_Percy thinks I'm so worried only because I think they might all get expelled. He kept on telling me they didn't do it and not to get all upset over it."_

"That only makes it worse for you, doesn't it?"

"_Yeah… But it's not his fault, he doesn't know. Harry was looking around the area where the message was too. Percy found him, Ron, and Hermione in the girls' loo. I think they're investigating, they suspect something. I'm scared, what if they find out it was me? Oh Tom, I need to tell someone!"_

"What if you didn't do it?"


	285. Chapter 285

**Chapter 285:**

She wanted to hit Tom.

"_I know that for whatever reason you don't want to hear this, but you didn't do it. The question should be why your brother and his friends were caught at the scene twice."_

"They didn't do anything!"

"_Why would two boys go into a girls' bathroom? They're hiding something."_

"It's none of my business."

"_Why must you excuse them and blame yourself? They're just as suspicious as you."_

She winced. "You think I'm suspicious? You think I did it!"

"_Do you pay attention to what you're writing? I don't know what you want from me."_


	286. Chapter 286

**Chapter 286:**

All of her emotions were clashing against each other and giving him the largest headache he had ever experienced. At least until she inevitably gave him a new one in a few days.

"_I don't even know what to think anymore, Tom. Do you even believe me?"_

"I believe that you believe you're guilty. Do I think you did it? No. Can you really blame me for trying to prove my only friend's innocence?"

"_I… I guess not. I'm so stupid, Tom. Just an emotional little girl."_

"No, you're confused. Everything will be clear in the end, Ginny. I promise."


	287. Chapter 287

**Chapter 287:**

"Dear Tom, some other first years think Harry is the Heir of Slytherin. Colin told me so, but he doesn't really believe it himself, especially after we heard all about the Chamber of Secrets. The idea of someone like Harry being the Heir is ridiculous. I mean, Hermione's a Muggle-born, and so was his mum."

"…_Undoubtedly ridiculous…"_

"Colin's really excited about the Quidditch match today. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. Since Harry's the youngest Seeker of the century, he's making sure to get plenty of film for his camera. His camera annoys Harry though. I wish he didn't bother him so much."


	288. Chapter 288

**Chapter 288:**

"Oh Tom, did I ever tell you the story of the Chamber of Secrets? Professor McGonagall told it to Harry's class a few days ago."

"_I already know about the Chamber, Ginny. I read about it in the book, _Hogwarts: A History_."_

"You… you knew about it? And you didn't tell me?"

"_You never asked. I assumed that you knew since you were so scared…"_

"I didn't. But it doesn't matter anymore. I know _now_ that is wasn't me. It's a monster. I'm not a monster and I can't be related to Slytherin, my entire family has always been Gryffindor."


	289. Chapter 289

**Chapter 289:**

"_Dear Tom, did you ever play Quidditch?"_

"No. I had many other responsibilities."

"_You said you didn't have a broom either, right? What if you had time and the broom?"_

Tom thought about it for a moment. He'd always been interested in flying, but he didn't like depending on a broom too much nor the idea of getting crushed by a Bludger.

"I surely would have flown more often. But Quidditch? Definitely not."

"_That's too bad. I love Quidditch. My brothers didn't let me play with them so I've been flying their brooms without them knowing since I was six."_


	290. Chapter 290

**Chapter 290:**

"_Muggles can fly too, you know. They have these big metal things called planes. I don't know how it works, but it flies really high and they're loud. I screamed when I saw a plane for the first time, it was embarrassing. Have you ever seen a plane, Tom?"_

Tom closed his eyes at the memory of the planes. He had been at Hogwarts during the eight month bombings, but he had still been there the other times. Then had been loud and – dare he admit it – terrifying. The younger orphaned children were always screaming.

"More than my fair share."


	291. Chapter 291

**Chapter 291:**

Ginny had asked him what he meant by that, so he just gave her a very brief history of the war that had occurred amongst the Muggles. Thankfully she didn't ask anything else and instead just said goodbye so she could watch the Quidditch match. There was no doubt in his mind that she would return and tell him how amazing Harry Potter was. It was a good thing too, because he now had a few more questions for her about him and Lord Voldemort since he had no idea of anything that had happened in the past fifty years.


	292. Chapter 292

**Chapter 292:**

"_Dear Tom, poor Harry!"_

"What happened?"

"_I hate Malfoy! He's on the Slytherin Quidditch team. He fixed a Bludger to chase Harry during the whole match. I was so scared. Fred and George were helping him at first, but then they stopped. I tried getting mad at them after the game but they just walked away. They've been acting so odd…"_

"Was Harry injured?"

"_Eventually. After he caught the Snitch and won the game it broke his arm. Stupid Lockhart tried to heal it and ended up Vanishing all the bones in his arm! He'll spend the night regrowing them."_


	293. Chapter 293

**Chapter 293:**

"Poor Harry indeed," Tom wrote, smirking darkly. "He's spending the night regrowing them, you say?"

"_Yes, all alone. Stupid Colin was also taking pictures of him. He's so dimwitted sometimes. It was obvious Harry didn't want him there. Everyone's having a party in the common room. I refuse to go, it's not fair to Harry, he's the one who won the game. My brothers are idiots. Though Ron had a go at Lockhart. He told me I was the only sane girl in school since I don't like him. I think he only said that because Hermione was defending him."_


	294. Chapter 294

**Chapter 294:**

"_You should go see Harry. Maybe bring him a treat from that party…"_

"I wish I could, but there's no visitors allowed this late."

"_Late? What on earth were you doing between the end of the match and now?"_

Ginny bit her lip. She wasn't sure if he would be happy with her looking through history book to learn more about him and his time period. She'd only done it to keep her mind off of Harry.

"I was doing homework. I needed to distract myself from Harry."'

"_I see. How unfortunate that he's all alone in the Hospital Wing…"_


	295. Chapter 295

**A/N: **Updates shall be slowing down to 1-2 a day.

* * *

**Chapter 295:**

It was late at night when Tom possessed Ginny's body again and directed the basilisk to the first floor. He wanted to see Harry Potter to consider whether or not to just kill the boy now which was why he brought along the basilisk. It would be quick.

"**Be sure I am not disturbed,"** he hissed. She slid past him silently.

He was about to open the doors to the Hospital Wing when a clatter caused him to hide behind a statue of Barnabas the Bearded. He knew what happened when he heard the thud and the hiss of displeasure.


	296. Chapter 296

**Chapter 296:**

"**Stupid boy,"** he heard the basilisk hiss in fury as it disappeared down another corridor. Tom approached the area he had heard the sound carefully. Obviously it was a body of a person this time. Even from a distance he could tell it was Petrified.

He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding when he saw who it was.

Colin Creevey.

He frowned, unsure of how he felt about this particular boy being a victim. Ginny would not be pleased. There was a chance she wouldn't blame herself since she would think she had been asleep.


	297. Chapter 297

**A/N: **The compliments of how this fits canon are so abundant that I'm tempted to keep it so but I can't since its AU… says so in summary and first chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 297:**

Tom bent down to examine the camera Colin was holding on to tightly. He didn't think it was possible to take a picture of a basilisk, but…

He wrenched the Muggle device out of the boy's hand and opened the back of it. There was a small spark and a jet of smoke that came out, causing him to cough once. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of burnt plastic but was satisfied that everything inside the camera seemed to have completely melted.

_Oh no, not Colin…_

He keeled over when Ginny's remorse and shame shot through his body.


	298. Chapter 298

**Chapter 298:**

"Ginny…" Tom choked, attempting to force her to the back of his mind in case she tried to take over. He glared at Colin's frozen body accusingly.

It seemed he couldn't move at all. The basilisk whispered softly a floor away.

"**They come… let me kill…"**

He winced. **"No, don't. Who comes?"**

"**Two. Big ones."**

Teachers. He paled and struggled to get up, but Ginny was forcing him to stay as she mourned. No amount of effort could force her away.

_I can't be caught_.

He only just managed to stifle one of Ginny's sobs when he heard footsteps approaching.


	299. Chapter 299

**Chapter 299:**

Biting his lip in panic, he felt around the stairs until his hand sank into one of the trick steps. He was pleased rather than hindered and pulled out Ginny's wand to cast an Extension Charm on the step. Satisfied when he stuck his whole arm in, he slid into the step where there was just enough room for Ginny's body to fit.

"Oh, Albus!" he heard a woman cry.

Tom went completely still. Dumbledore was right above him examining the boy. He could hear the shuffling of robes and their whispers until finally taking him to the Hospital Wing.


	300. Chapter 300

**A/N:** I like it when reviews outnumber chapters. I like it a lot. **Fluteorwrite **and **Loveandpower** wrote a lot of them

**Chapter 300:**

Uncertainty.

"_Dear Tom, it's so late it's almost early!"_

"So why are you awake?"

"_I heard a voice."_

"A voice."

"_A scary voice. I didn't sound right, its words…It was like it didn't speak english."_

She heard the basilisk. Did his ability get transferred to her? How interesting. "What did the voice say?"

"_It was saying it was starving. Odd, isn't it?"_

"Are you sure it wasn't your stomach?"

"_It's not funny, Tom! It was terrifying."_

"So it's voices now."

"_I should tell someone. What do you think?"_

"I think there are some things you should keep to your diary."


	301. Chapter 301

**Chapter 301:**

"You don't… you think I'm mad, don't you?"

"_Of course not. Hogwarts is a mysterious castle with many secrets. Perhaps you did hear a voice. It could have been a ghost or a book… anything really."_

A ghost… Maybe. A ghost might have been wishing to have something to eat, but the voice hadn't seemed human in any way. What if…

"What if it was the monster of Slytherin?"

"_How on earth did you come to _that_ conclusion?"_

"You won't like me saying this, but it's because on Halloween night…you know."

"_I understand. I can't change what you think either…"_


	302. Chapter 302

**Chapter 302:**

"_You should go to bed, Ginny."_

"I'm too scared. I want to be awake if I hear the voice again."

"_Alright. You can write to me to stay awake."_

This was a perfect opportunity to ask him questions about his time. "Yes! I want to talk about you."

"_Me?"_

"Sort of. What do you know about Grindelwald?"

"_Grindelwald… He is a Dark Wizard. Why do you want to know? Is he You-Know-Who or…?"_

"Oh no, Grindelwald was defeated by Dumbledore a long time ago. I researched it. It happened in 1945."

"_1945… So long ago. I thought…"_

"Thought what?"

"_Nothing…"_


	303. Chapter 303

**Chapter 303:**

1945? How long had his true self been in power then?

"So who is You-Know-Who? When did he appear?"

"_In the 1970s. He didn't have anything to do with Grindelwald."_

"The 1970s? Are you certain?"

"_Yeah, Bill told me a long time ago."_

What had taken so long for him to rise in power? He should have graduated in 1945 and spent only a few years to preserve his immortality.

"I don't know anything that has happened in the last fifty years. Ginny, would it be too troublesome if you-"

Eagerness. _"You can ask me and I'll tell you anything."_


	304. Chapter 304

**Chapter 304:**

"I'm afraid that's not enough Ginny. I want information from books. The exact information."

"_You want me to copy down whole books? But… that'll take forever."_ Reluctance. _"My hand would be sore all day and I have school."_

He scowled but knew it was too much to ask of a child. "Yes, yes you're right. I don't _need_ the information."

"_Can I continue asking about you and what you remember?"_

"I don't really want to."

Disappointment. She shouldn't feel that way yet considering the terrible news she would receive in just a few hours. He almost felt bad for her.


	305. Chapter 305

**Chapter 305:**

"Is there anything specific you want to talk about other than what I remember?"

A pang of loneliness. _"I really miss my mum."_

"Wasn't she just grooming you to be a housewife?"

"_I don't think she means to. I just miss her, she's my mum after all. I miss it when she would tuck me in and tell me stories when I was younger. She would spend time with me without all of my brothers around and we could talk about anything I wanted. Even when she would discipline me it was ok because I knew it meant she cared."_


	306. Chapter 306

**Chapter 306:**

"I don't think I quite understand, Ginny."

"_I wish you and your mom were close because then maybe you'd get what I was saying."_

"My mother died when I was born."

"_I'm sorry." _She quickly tried to push her pity away. Was it because he had asked her not to feel sorry for him before? Tom was surprised she remembered. _"You have to love your family, Tom, no matter how much they irritate you."_

"So you love your family because they're you family?"

"_Yes."_

"It's more of a requirement then."

"_No, that's… I can't explain love, its different for everyone."_


	307. Chapter 307

**Chapter 307:**

"You don't really think about love, you just know when you feel it. You can't just decide to love someone."

"_So it is not a conscious thought."_

"I guess not. And then there are different kinds of love. You can love a certain food, you can love your parents, your boyfriend, your friends."

"_Quite the loose term..."_

"Not really, you care about all of them. I guess it's all a bit confusing; I might be too young to understand these things myself. I think I love Harry, but I'm not so sure anymore. What if I'm just a silly fan-girl?"


	308. Chapter 308

**Chapter 308:**

"When it comes to Harry I think your feelings are more serious than you give them credit for."

Now that he had something to compare them to, it was almost true. Her feelings when she had described her love for her mother had caught his interest. When she talked about Harry the feelings were almost the same except they were a bit more enthusiastic (yet strangely fearful) and she felt the need to always mention her feelings about him. The love for her family was more natural but the love for Harry was not but something she couldn't control. Interesting.


	309. Chapter 309

**Chapter 309:**

Ginny opened her eyes sleepily. She had written to Tom for an hour or two and it seemed that she slept in a little late. Realizing she might have missed breakfast, she threw on clean robes and hurried out of the dorm and into the common room.

Everybody was talking to each other loudly in almost panicked voices. She stared around curiously, wondering what on earth had happened.

"Ginny!" Percy shouted from over the crowd as he strode toward her. "Have you just woken up?"

She nodded. "Yes, what happened? Why is everyone crowded around here?"

"There's been another attack."


	310. Chapter 310

**Chapter 310:**

Ginny was crying on him, Tom noticed irritably. She must have heard the news. She wasn't writing to him though, he didn't even think he was open. Why wasn't she just writing to him instead of crying all over him? He was no help to her as a closed book.

It was mostly despair and mourning pulsing through her and into him. It wasn't as strong as it would have been if she had been writing, and he was thankful for that. He was surprised to feel the emotions slowly fading away as she held him. Was she _hugging_ him?


	311. Chapter 311

**Chapter 311:**

Ginny slowly lowered Tom onto her lap. She wanted to write to Tom, she really did, but he wouldn't believe her. Or he would lie and say he did. She knew she had heard the monster. It had to have been her who painted the words on the wall. Maybe she didn't Petrify Mrs. Norris and Colin, but she had _something_ to do with it.

She flumped back down and her bed and placed Tom on her chest, thinking. Perhaps she was the heir. Or maybe she was acting on Slytherin's will in her sleep. Maybe someone was controlling her.


	312. Chapter 312

**Chapter 312:**

"_There used to always be someone to tell."_

He'd been feeling sluggish as Ginny held him for so long, but her writing brought him out of it. "To tell what?"

"_Tell anything. I used to be able to tell mum anything. Then there was Charlie. Then you. Now I don't have anyone."_

"You still have me. I am here in your hands. Write to me."

"_I can't."_

Distrust. "Would it help if I don't respond to what you have to say?"

"_It would help a little, but then I wouldn't feel like I'm talking to a person. I need someone."_


	313. Chapter 313

**Chapter 313:**

She needed someone who wasn't him? Tom was strangely insulted. If it had to do with the Petrifications, he _had_ to know what she thought.

"I am someone, Ginny… Just say what irks you."

"_There was another attack. Someone was Petrified."_

"Who was it?"

"_Colin. Tom… it was me. I know it was."_

"When did it happen?"

"_Last night. I don't understand how this could have happened. Nobody can tell me if I was here or not. I don't remember doing it but I have that feeling…"_

"You were writing to me last night, remember? Before that you were asleep."


	314. Chapter 314

**A/N:** What do you think of me creating another fic full of deleted scenes? I removed a lot of stuff. Ginny speaking of Harry, Tom's DADA lessons for Ginny, Fred and George, Ginny's detention. There's also different paths I considered doing but changed my mind but still wrote a bit for.

* * *

**Chapter 314:**

"I _was_ writing to you, wasn't I?"

_"Yes. You asked about Grindelwald and tried to learn about my time, afterwards you told me about how much you missed your mum…"_

"Yeah, I remember that. And on Halloween night I was writing then too. Right when I was stopping I-"

_"You write to me every night, Ginny. You write in the mornings when you can as well. You have no idea how grateful I am of your company."_

"I… well… Ok, you're right."

_"Right? About what?"_

"Nothing, it was a stupid thought. Forget I said anything."

_"You're so strange sometimes, Ginny."_


	315. Chapter 315

**Chapter 315:**

"_I'm going to say this once more. It is impossible for you to be the Heir of Slytherin."_

"There's a load of evidence against me!"

"_The legend speaks of an Heir, not an Heiress."_

"It could have been worded wrong."

"_That's plausible, but you are forgetting one important fact, Ginny."_

"What?"

"_You have six older brothers. If you believe you're an heir, then they are too. You must also remember that you were the last one born."_

"You're not sugges-"

"_Percy certainly disappears a lot. Fred and George have been acting oddly. Ron has been appearing in the strangest places…"_


	316. Chapter 316

**Chapter 316:**

"Please Tom… don't blame my brothers." She was horrified that he was even suggesting something so terrible, but she could understand why since he had explained that he was only defending her.

"_Why do you insist that they're so innocent? Why do you refuse to put the blame on someone else?"_

"They're my family."

"_I know you love them, but have you no self-preservation instincts?"_

"You just don't do that to family. Would you ever betray your family?"

"_Honestly? Yes, I would."_

That's what Ginny thought.

"Would you ever betray me?"

This time he took much longer to reply.

"_Never."_


	317. Chapter 317

**A/N: **Going out of town for a while. I'll be back on the 22nd.

* * *

**Chapter 317:**

Ginny closed Tom and put him in her pocket. As she exited Gryffindor Tower, her head started feeling heavy again. It was so sudden that she actually had to stop in the middle of the corridor. It felt like she was wondering something. But why? She knew she was about to go visit Colin at the Hospital Wing.

When she thought that, the wondering stopped. Weird.

Madam Pomfrey glanced at her when she came in and stood next to Colin.

"Will he be alright?" Ginny asked.

She gave a curt nod. "As soon as the Herbology Mandrakes have fully matured."


	318. Chapter 318

**A/N: **Me? Gone for two months? Pffft…

* * *

**Chapter 318:**

"I'm sorry, Colin," Ginny whispered when Pomfrey went into her office. "I'm still not sure how I did it or if it was even me in the first place. I'm just not sure of anything anymore. My brothers are acting weird and I think I'm pushing everyone I care about away, I bet even we could have been close friends. I haven't had a conversation with anyone for a while. I haven't even told Tom that and he always asks about my day. He's one of my friends by the way… I wish I could have told you about him."


	319. Chapter 319

**Chapter 319:**

Ginny stared into Colin's face. He looked terrified and his hands were held up in front of him as if he had been holding something. It had probably been his camera, but where was it now? Did Dumbledore take it because he got a picture of the monster of Slytherin? Was the staff searching for it?

She shivered at the thought of herself being in the photo.

But then… if she saw what picture he had taken, it could tell her that she was the heir of Slytherin, or more importantly, that she wasn't.

She had to find that camera.


	320. Chapter 320

**A/N: **Why do you people want her to find the camera? You already know what's in it xD

* * *

**Chapter 320:**

Tom hovered in the back of Ginny's mind apprehensively. He had forgotten to dispose of Colin's camera after taking it into the trick step with him. It was a stupid mistake. He seemed to be making a lot of those lately.

It took a while for Tom to notice that Ginny was going to the scene of the crime and even longer to realize she shouldn't have known where Colin had been attacked. Did she remember?

If she didn't, would she once she found the camera? He had to find a way to stop her and _get away from there_


	321. Chapter 321

**A/N:** Have any of you reread the story? I haven't edited it or anything, but I'm just curious.

* * *

**Chapter 321:**

Cautiously, Ginny approached the steps where Colin had been attacked. The only thing special about it was the trick step. She had never heard of a student's possessions getting stuck in there, but maybe the camera did.

She went on her knees and prepared to stick her hand inside. Tom began to feel warm in her pocket, but she didn't worry too much about it since he did the same thing when she had been stalking Percy with Colin.

_Get away from there._

Ginny barely stifled a shriek as she pulled back. A voice had come from _inside her head_.


	322. Chapter 322

**Chapter 322:**

She pressed herself against the wall, hers hands clutching her head as if to block anything from going inside. First there had been the voice she heard in the walls, and now there were voices in her head.

In her pocket, Tom burned.

Swallowing, she put her hand in her pocket to tell Tom what happened. When she touched it, however, her whole hand burned and the sensation traveled up her arm. Strings of thought that weren't hers flicked through her mind. She did the only thing that seemed reasonable at the moment.

She threw the diary down the stairs.


	323. Chapter 323

**Chapter 323:**

Did she just _throw_ him? More importantly, did she _know_?

He didn't have much time to think about it because she picked him back up only a minute later.

"_Tom?"_

"Yes?"

"_Did you feel that?"_

"Feel what?"

"_You were burning… I dropped you."_

"You dropped me."

"…_You repeat things when you don't believe me."_

"I do not." He did. "What wouldn't I believe?"

"_That I dropped you."_

"Honestly, Ginny, how would I know if you're spontaneously chucking me about?"

"_I never said I threw you."_

"Neither did I. It just seemed to be the only other option."

"_I heard you."_


	324. Chapter 324

**A/N:** New story: Anthology. Shush, I know I have too many.

* * *

**Chapter 324:**

"Heard me? Ginny, I can't speak."

"_You were in my head. I heard your thoughts."_

"I doubt that's possible. I'd need a wand to penetrate a mind. My thoughts are confined to this diary. Hence the reason _I am a diary_. I keep secrets. Yours as well as mine."

"_I heard something. I know I did."_

"The voice from last night, perhaps?"

Anger. "No."

Tom searched her mind to see exactly what ailed her. He didn't like the conclusions she was jumping to.

"_Tom, I _felt_ you. I felt you in the burn."_

"But why would I ever hurt you?"


	325. Chapter 325

**Chapter 325:**

Tom had burned when she had approached the step. It was like he didn't want her near there… and the whisper... He had to be lying about not being able to feel her throw him. Did that mean he was lying about other things? He always turned the blame away from himself so effortlessly.

"_Is something wrong?"_

Sometimes he knew things as if he was looking into her mind.

"_Are you there?"_

She looked down at the camera she had retrieved from the step.

"_Ginny?"_

"Dear Tom, I don't think I can trust you anymore."

And Ginny closed the diary.


End file.
